Lakeland Pantry has seen a lot of success in the past, and hope to keep that success going.
The pantry has been helping Oneida and surrounding counties since the 70s. In the almost 50 years of helping, they continue to find more and more ways to make an impact locally.
They run the operation entirely on donations and grants. They have multiple programs to help out, not just with the community, but also with local schools. Hope in a Backpack, and The Snack Program, are a few of the programs they have for them.
Lorna Springate, The Director of Lakeland Pantry said, "For the elderly, sometimes its either food or their medicine. So when they come here and they find out that they don't have to pay for anything, and everything that we offer from the clothing, to the books, to the food. A lot of times they just break down and cry."
Leaders also say people come in for the social interaction. Sometimes they come in having a bad day, and volunteers cheer them up by simply having a conversation. Truly proving that they are neighbors helping neighbors.
In 2024 alone the pantry provided over 540 Thousand meals. If you would like to donate or volunteer, you can go to the Lakeland Pantry website.
