Who we are
The St. Luke Food Pantry is an IRS-recognized 501(c)3 nonprofit organization incorporated in the State of Mississippi. The organization is committed to continuing its long-standing history of providing food boxes to the eligible food-insecure residents of Lee County, Mississippi.
St. Luke Food Pantry works diligently to meet the needs of food-insecure residents and those that find themselves in a place of hunger. We work to improve the quality of life for our clients.
Who we are
The St. Luke Food Pantry is an IRS-recognized 501(c)3 nonprofit organization incorporated in the State of Mississippi. The organization is committed to continuing its long-standing history of providing food boxes to the eligible food-insecure residents of Lee County, Mississippi.
St. Luke Food Pantry works diligently to meet the needs of food-insecure residents and those that find themselves in a place of hunger. We work to improve the quality of life for our clients.
Our Parnters:
Our History:
The St. Luke Food Pantry began in June of 1995 as a program of St. Luke United Methodist Church in Tupelo, MS. The founding group was part of the Good News Sunday School Class led by Mr. Cliff Pickens. During the first month of service, the pantry met the needs of eight families. In the beginning, food was donated by individuals from the church, and then a few years later, the pantry partnered with the Mid-South Food Bank to better meet the needs of the community and to gain better access to food. As time passed, the pantry grew to the point that it was utilizing 5 Sunday school classrooms in the church, and the volunteers had maxed out the usable space.
Mr. Clyde Whitaker, a real estate agent in Tupelo and a member of St. Luke United Methodist Church, reached out to one of his clients about donating a property they owned in the area. The Morrison family out of Vicksburg owned the property in East Tupelo. They decided to donate the property to the church for the use of the pantry.
In July 2011, the operations were moved from the church to the location at Eason Boulevard, the current location. At the time of the move, the pantry was serving an average of 600 families per month. The pantry continued to grow at the new location and reached an average of 1,200 families in the few years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Serving 28,362 boxes to 10,147 unique individuals from 5,923 unduplicated families in 2023.
Our History:
The St. Luke Food Pantry began in June of 1995 as a program of St. Luke United Methodist Church in Tupelo, MS. The founding group was part of the Good News Sunday School Class led by Mr. Cliff Pickens. During the first month of service, the pantry met the needs of eight families. In the beginning, food was donated by individuals from the church, and then a few years later, the pantry partnered with the Mid-South Food Bank to better meet the needs of the community and to gain better access to food. As time passed, the pantry grew to the point that it was utilizing 5 Sunday school classrooms in the church, and the volunteers had maxed out the usable space.
Mr. Clyde Whitaker, a real estate agent in Tupelo and a member of St. Luke United Methodist Church, reached out to one of his clients about donating a property they owned in the area. The Morrison family out of Vicksburg owned the property in East Tupelo. They decided to donate the property to the church for the use of the pantry.
In July 2011, the operations were moved from the church to the location at Eason Boulevard, the current location. At the time of the move, the pantry was serving an average of 600 families per month. The pantry continued to grow at the new location and reached an average of 1,200 families in the few years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Serving 28,362 boxes to 10,147 unique individuals from 5,923 unduplicated families in 2023.
