Here’s how Dorothy Day Food Pantry works

The food pantry operates like a grocery store, making it unique among food pantries

Dorothy Day Food Pantry is located at 1308 Main Ave., Moorhead. The Pantry is open three days a week, Tuesday from noon to 3 p.m.; Wednesday from 3-6 p.m.; and Thursday from noon to 3 p.m.

At Churches United, we’re pretty proud of Dorothy Day Food Pantry, and we’ll tell you why!

Unlike most food pantries, Dorothy Day Food Pantry is set up like a grocery store, meaning that visitors are able to shop for exactly what they need and get a grocery store-like experience, even if they may struggle to afford to shop at one regularly.

When community members arrive at the food pantry, they only need to state how many people live in their household and verbally confirm that they meet income eligibility requirements to shop at the pantry. An ID is not required, nor is proof of residency or income. This low-barrier approach is meant to ensure the greatest access to food possible. Community members can shop at the pantry twice a month, but the shopping must be done in different weeks.

After speaking to someone at the front desk, community members are given a shopping cart and can fill it with the items they need. Each shopper is given a credit limit based on the number of people in their household.

Items’ credits are determined by the pantry’s numerous volunteers and staff, who set items’ credits each distribution day while they stock the pantry for visitors. Once shoppers are finished, a volunteer or Churches United staff member will check the items in their cart and count the total credits, ensuring they don’t exceed their limit. Once counting is finished, the cart is weighed and the shopper is sent on their way. Weighing is done to track the amount of food the pantry is distributing.

“My favorite part about working at/overseeing the pantry is the people,” says Angela Hoeper, Churches United’s nutrition director. “I love seeing the regular families that come into our pantry and creating relationships with them. They almost expect to see you twice a month. There are also so many different cultures that come through; it truly is a melting pot.  I love seeing how different people interpret the signage around the pantry, the language barriers and just the human interaction in general.”

Pantry volunteers, much like at any other facility at Churches United, are the lifeblood of the facility. Volunteers help stock shelves, check out shoppers and even help first-time shoppers learn the ropes by shopping with them.

“Volunteers play such an important role at the pantry, I'm not quite sure this place would run the way it does or as smoothly as it does without them,” says Hoeper. “There is also a TON of work that goes into getting this place ready for our shoppers. They also create a warm and welcoming experience for our guests. I love my volunteers and am forever grateful for the work that they do.”

The pantry gets food through deliveries by North Country Food Bank and generous donations from the community. Churches United recently purchased a box truck to allow greater flexibility in food deliveries, since North Country Food Bank is located in East Grand Forks, Minnesota.

In 2025, 582,735 pounds of food were distributed at Dorothy Day Food Pantry. That food was distributed to 4,215 households. Hoeper says she has seen an increase in pantry usage as of late, averaging about 20-35 new families per week. Lately, about 100-plus families have been visiting the pantry each day.

Click here for more information on the pantry.