Food Pantry Builds a Culture of Care and Community

“Someone else may need that more than I do,” is a frequent comment overheard at the Sister Mary Josette Food Pantry, according to Executive Director Kerri Lehmbeck, and one that captures the spirit of the community it serves. Operated by Felician Community Services, a program of Hopebound Ministries, the pantry is more than a food resource, it’s a hub of generosity, where neighbors support one another despite their own challenges.   

Kerri notes that the $9,200 grant from the Buffalo Together Community Response Fund (now called Buffalo Together) was the pantry’s first grant under the newly established Felician Community Services name. The funding significantly strengthened the organization’s ability to meet growing demand while also sparking new partnerships and ideas. 

One such collaboration was with the Providence Farm Collective, a nonprofit with a mission of cultivating farmer-led and community-rooted agriculture and food systems to actualize the rights of under-resourced peoples. Through the Buffalo Together grant support, this partnership enabled the Sister Mary Josette Food Pantry to provide fresh produce directly to its guests. 

“I learned about the Buffalo Together grant opportunity less than 48 hours before it was due and spent the entire day working on our application,” says Kerri. “Receiving the award made us feel like both our work and the community we serve had truly been seen.” 

Felician Community Services officially opened in fall 2024 on the campus of Villa Maria College. The Sister Mary Josette Pantry, originally established in 1986, now serves neighborhood residents and students in need, reaching more than 11,200 individuals last year.  

While its core mission is providing food access within its designated zip codes of 14211 and 14225, Felician Community Services has expanded to meet broader community needs. Programs and services now include the Wear ‘n Share clothing closet, a pet pantry, multiple birthday programs for children, a holiday program, and a newly launched sneaker program providing properly fitted, brand-new sneakers to kids. 

Kerri and her small team have worked hard to stretch their resources by strategically partnering with other organizations. While FeedMore WNY provides most packaged food items for the pantry, they also receive fresh produce and edible foods through their retail partnership with Trader Joe’s and from the Food Shuttle of WNY. Collaborations with WNY Food 4 Paws and the SPCA Serving Erie County support the pet pantry, while partnerships with For Goodness Cakes, Happy Birthday Cha Cha Cha, and Sneakers with Soul provide joy and essential resources to children in need. 

Today, the food pantry serves approximately 200-250 individuals during the two weekly distribution days. This is a 28 percent increase over 2024, as food insecurity continues to grow in the East Side neighborhood. The ability to support their neighbors aligns with the core values of the Felician Sisters, emphasizing compassion and solidarity with people in need. In turn, pantry guests and volunteers have become a supportive community of their own.  

“Our guests are not “takers” as some might want you to believe,” says Kerri. “They come with needs, but they also look out for one another. We’re proud to be part of a community that cares so deeply.” 

The grant award was one of 30 distributed by Buffalo Together in May of 2025 totaling $600,000. Grants were awarded to organizations whose work is aligned with Buffalo Together’s strategic focus to transform Buffalo’s East Side, to build generational wealth, and to ensure development without displacement, and is guided by the principles of safety, resilience, health, and wealth.