About Us

Mission Statement

The Yorkville Common Pantry (YCP) is dedicated to reducing hunger while promoting dignity and self-sufficiency. YCP champions the cause of the hungry through food pantry and meal distribution programs, nutrition education, basic hygiene services, homeless support, and related services. YCP’s community based programs focus on East Harlem and other under-served communities throughout New York City.

As the largest, nonsectarian, neighborhood-based provider of emergency food in New York City, YCP provides 1,250,000 meals annually to all who come seeking relief from hunger. The Pantry was founded in 1981 by a coalition of East Side churches and synagogues and receives strong support from its forty-five member Board of Directors.

Every week, YCP:

• Provides hundreds of emergency food packages through its 24/7 program, the city’s only emergency food pantry that never closes.
• Serves 1,600 hot meals to hungry individuals.
• Distributes nutritious grocery packages containing over 23,000 meals to 900 low-income families, representing 3,000 individuals.
• Provides homeless men and women with on-site showers and laundry facilities, psychiatric assessments, emergency shelter, and help in obtaining jobs and housing.
• Aids clients in obtaining needed services and entitlements.
• Yorkville Common Pantry’s programs are efficient as well as effective. Nearly 83% of the agency’s expenditures are allocated directly to program activities.

Click on the Our Programs link to see a description of all our programs.

For a copy of our 990 Form, click here