The Lord's Cupboard Community Food Pantry is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. As a faith-based, ecumenical organization, we are supported by local churches, the business community, and the general public in Fort Dodge and Webster County. We are a collaborative, community-based organization providing emergency food assistance, personal hygiene items, and basic household items to our neighbors with dignity and compassion. Assistance is available to clients up to twelve times per year.
Proverbs 22:9 - "The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor."
Who We Are
Our Mission
Motivated by Christian love, the Lord's Cupboard Community Food Pantry continues Christ's work by feeding those in need of food assistance; the unemployed, the working poor, the elderly, and the disabled in the Fort Dodge area. It is our hope that those who receive food will be strengthened in body and soul. With a benevolent spirit, we foster a caring atmosphere and treat each person with dignity and kindness.
Psalm 34:8 - "Taste and see that the Lord is good."
What Is Food Insecurity?
Food insecurity refers to a lack of available financial resources to purchase food at the household level. For families, this means they may have little food or nourishment in their home at some point in time during the week which can lead to hunger.
Hunger refers to a personal, physical sensation of discomfort due to the lack of food and proper nourishment.
Food insecurity is a complex problem. Many people do not have the resources to meet their basic needs which increases a family’s risk of food insecurity. Though food insecurity is closely related to poverty, not all people living below the poverty line experience food insecurity and people living above the poverty line can experience food insecurity.
Food insecurity does not exist in isolation, as low-income families are affected by multiple, overlapping issues like lack of affordable housing, social isolation, chronic or acute health problems, and unaffordable medical costs. Taken together, these issues are important social determinants of health, defined as the “conditions in the environments in which people live, learn, work, play, and worship that affects their health and well-being.
Impact Of Food Insecurity On Children
For a household that struggles with ‘food insecurity,’ the reasons are simple – there is simply not enough money in the household to ensure everyone in the household has access to a healthy diet. The impact can be significant, particularly for children. According to the American Psychological Association, household food insecurity “has insidious effects on the health and development of young children, including increased hospitalizations, poor health, iron deficiency, developmental risk, and behavior problems, primarily aggression, anxiety, depression, and attention deficit disorder. These concerns early in life increase children’s risk of poor school readiness, poor school performance, and subsequent health disparities…”