Pitman Food Pantry
The Pitman Pantry is a cooperative ministry of five Pitman churches to feed those in the community and beyond who are having trouble keeping food in their own pantries. With support from our congregations and from the USDA and the Food Bank of South Jersey, the Pantry feeds hundreds of families each month. Located in the rear of the First Baptist Church, 30 N. Broadway, Pitman, NJ. As part of our Sunday School program, the children plant a vegetable garden every spring which they call the Angel Garden. Their harvest is distributed through the Pitman Food Pantry. The Food Pantry customers very much appreciate the fresh-picked tomatoes, peppers, green beans and squash that our kids have grown. The Pantry is open on Tuesdays from 6-7 PM, Wednesdays from 4-5 PM, and Thursdays from 12-1 PM.
Family Promise
Family Promise was founded in the state of New Jersey in 1988 as a means of giving homeless families an opportunity to achieve stability by providing shelter, food, case management, and hospitality utilizing the resources within local congregations and the community.. Our church was the first in Pitman to become a host congregation. Up to 14 guests receive meals and overnight accommodation at our church one week at a time for up to four weeks each year. Check the church calendar for refresher course dates, and contact Vicki Downing for more information. Family Promise of Southwest NJ HOME | My Site 2
Summer Lunch Program
Since 2016, our church has provided free lunches for local children in the Pitman School District.
The Summer Lunch Program, in its eleventh year, in 2025, we provided 3635 lunches to 137 different children from 61 different families. Any child in Pitman was eligible, and the number of lunches distributed this year was 1000 more than last year.
The funds for this program were provided from several sources: the Invitation and Outreach mission budget, donations from our members, the SLP line item in the church budget, a gift card from BJ’s, and a grant from Zallies Community Foundation. Pitman Methodist Church continued to provide all the cereal, and The Church of the Good Shepherd provided toiletry items. Purchasing, packing, and distributing the lunches was done by members of our congregation and members of First Pres also volunteered at Bushels of Blessings to receive fresh vegetables for the families each week. We are extremely thankful for all who worked together to provide this mission outreach to our community.
Urban Promise
UrbanPromise Academy is a private, Christian high school that fulfills the needs of students who have not met their academic potential in traditional school settings and often enter two to three grade levels below national standards. Founded in 1997, the Academy offers Camden youth a unique schooling opportunity with a low teacher to student ratio, a family-style learning environment, an emphasis on community service, and experiential and expeditionary learning. UrbanPromise Academy currently boasts a 100% graduation rate sees 93% of graduates enter college. Extracurricular opportunities include the school’s Elite Cycling Team, UrbanTrekkers, Urban BoatWorks, and Students In Action (SIA).
Books & Breakfast
Every month, a team of volunteers goes to Turning Point United Methodist Church in Trenton to make and serve breakfast to the homeless community in Trenton! We leave at 6:00am from the church and return around 10:30am exhausted and exhilarated from serving the Lord. If you are unable to attend but would still like to participate, they are always looking for donations for non-perishable items or grocery gift cards. If you are interested in volunteering or making a donation, reach out to Jackie Sandy at 609-206-1208 or email clevelandjt@gmail.com. Books & Breakfast is run under the umbrella of Showing Up for Racial Justice. https://www.booksandbreakfast.org/