The House of Mercy community food pantry is open to anyone in need. You don't need an appointment to come, and people who've visited say they got food for their families and the things they needed.
The pantry hands out non-perishable groceries, so you can count on shelf-stable foods you can store at home. The shelves are kept stocked with items like canned fruits and vegetables, soup and stew, pasta and pasta sauce, rice, macaroni and cheese, cereal, oatmeal, pancake and waffle mix, peanut butter and jelly, canned tuna and chicken, and beans.
House of Mercy does much more than hand out groceries. The organization runs a 76-bed shelter that's open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and serves three meals a day to its guests. A team of onsite caseworkers helps people work through the barriers to independent living, including getting identification and important documents, searching for an apartment, and connecting with other services they need. Through a partnership with RTS, guests can get bus passes, and the shelter van offers rides to health care appointments, Department of Human Services meetings, and job interviews.
House of Mercy is also a member of the Forward Leading Integrated Provider Association (FLIPA) and the Social Care Network, which helps connect people with vital services beyond shelter. If you need more support, you can also look for help at findhelp.org.
Thanks to donors, House of Mercy keeps a clothes closet stocked with clothing, outerwear, and toiletries, and it provides an array of personal care items to its guests.
The House of Mercy food pantry runs entirely on donated food and money, so your giving keeps the shelves full and families fed. You can drop off non-perishable food donations Monday through Friday between 9am and 6pm at 285 Ormond St., Rochester. The most needed items include peanut butter, jelly, pasta, pasta sauce, coffee, creamer, and sugar; canned fruit, vegetables, soup, and stew; cereal, pancake and waffle mix, syrup, and oatmeal; rice, macaroni and cheese, and instant mashed potatoes; canned tuna, canned chicken, and beans; and shelf-stable meals like Hamburger Helper and Spaghetti-O's. Please note that donations of expired goods can't be accepted.
House of Mercy also welcomes new clothing and new essential goods. Since today's clothing isn't usually made to hold up to repeated wear and washing, only new clothes are accepted. To donate clothing or essential goods, contact House of Mercy at (585) 546-2580 or info@houseofmercyrochester.org.
You can also give money through the House of Mercy donation page, with options for one-time gifts, monthly giving, the Jim Vogel Benevolent Fund for emergency relief, stock gifts, and planned giving. For questions about any type of giving, reach out to Whitney Snead, Director of Development, at whitney@houseofmercyrochester.org or (585) 957-1709.
House of Mercy relies on volunteers, and its volunteers are described as the heart of the organization. You must be at least 16 years old to volunteer, and anyone under 18 needs a parent's signature and an adult present. To get started, fill out an application so the team knows your availability and interests. After that, you'll schedule a half-hour orientation, which takes place by appointment, and then you'll be added to the schedule in the area you're interested in. The time commitment is flexible and can be daily, weekly, biweekly, or monthly.
The Salvation Army of Greater Rochester helps households in crisis throughout Monroe County through its Emergency and Family Services program. If you're struggling to make ends meet, you can come here
Dimitri House serves neighbors in the Greater Rochester community who are facing hunger and food insecurity. The Emergency Food Cupboard is open to anyone in need, and visitors have shared that the st
Everyone is welcome at Open Door Mission. The community meal program serves warm meals to men, women, and children with no questions asked. You don't need an appointment or an ID to share a meal here.
This Salvation Army food distribution center is part of the Emergency and Family Services (EFS) program, which helps households in crisis throughout Monroe County. Everyone is welcome here. The Salvat
The Food Cupboard serves individuals and families across all of Monroe County. You do not need to show proof of address to receive groceries.