What Pantry Literacy Is

Pantry Literacy is an operational program designed to integrate into existing food access, education, and community support systems.

It focuses on what happens after food distribution - supporting households as they navigate decisions, planning, and use of the food they receive.

What the Program Does

Pantry Literacy provides structured, practical guidance that helps people:

• understand what they already have
• make food decisions with less stress
• use pantry items with more confidence

The program is delivered in partnership with existing organizations and designed to fit within current distribution and support workflows.

How it’s Delivered

Pantry Literacy is delivered through its partnerships with existing organizations, including food pantries, community programs, schools, and family support services.

The program is designed to fit into current operations and may be offered alongside food distribution, workshops, small group sessions, or embedded support moments.

Materials and guidance are flexible, practical, and respectful of time, space, and lived experience. The goal is not to add burden, but to strengthen what is already in place.

Who It’s For

Pantry Literacy is designed for households that rely on pantry and shelf-stable foods as part of their regular food supply.

This includes parents, grandparents, caregivers, and kinship households who are responsible for feeding others and making food stretch, often without clear guidance or support.

The program also serves transitional youth and young adults who are navigating independence and learning to manage food for themselves, often for the first time.

Pantry Literacy supports the organizations that serve these populations by extending impact beyond distribution and into everyday use, confidence, and decision-making.

Interested in Learning More?

If you’re a community organization, program coordinator, or funder exploring ways to strengthen food access outcomes:

Let’s talk.

Contact Us