Feeding a Community: The Story of the Newport Food Pantry
As remembered by Bunny Perry, former pantry coordinator
Before the Newport Food Pantry had a building of its own, it was driven by the most essential ingredients: compassion, persistence, and the belief that no one in the community should go hungry. Its early chapters were written in borrowed spaces and difficult stairwells, with long drives for supplies and the tireless hands of volunteers who showed up day after day. Before anything was easy, it was made possible by God and by people who simply refused to let their neighbors go without.
When Bunny Perry began working at the Newport Food Pantry on September 27, 1993, it was operating three days a week out of the Assumption Hall building, the parish hall of Saint Patrick Catholic Church. The pantry had already passed through multiple locations and coordinators, but the basics remained: a few shelves, some canned goods, and a core group of faithful volunteers who showed up each week.
The pantry space came with challenges. All the food was stored downstairs, and volunteers had to carry every item up the stairs for distribution. “There were three wonderful, dedicated volunteers who came in every day,” Perry recalls. “Workers had to go up and down the stairs several times each shift to get the food to families.”
In those days, the pantry provided food for three days—just enough to support families until they could access help through food stamps or town assistance. At the time, the Town of Newport operated its own food pantry out of the town office building where families could source food. When Newport later decided to close their doors, the Town arranged with the Newport Area Association of Churches (NAAC) to fill the gap. The pantry received a refrigerator and freezer from the town and an annual contribution of around $5,000 to help meet the growing need.
Though it was now the town’s sole food pantry, the budget nevertheless remained modest. Donated money was used to purchase butter, bread, and some meats—primarily hamburger, hot dogs, and chicken legs. At that time, the pantry was not yet partnered with the New Hampshire Food Bank in Manchester and only received limited supplies from USDA programs.
Most of the food came from local churches. Each Sunday of the month was assigned to a different congregation, and volunteers would either collect the donated items from the churches or receive deliveries. The South Congregational Church, First Congregational Church of Croydon, and Saint Patrick Catholic Church were the most consistent supporters. Ministers often pitched in—not only in the pantry but also in delivering food to families when the pantry was closed.
But the space at the Assumption Hall was not ideal and the group began to look for a better location.
Bill Hoyt, a longtime community servant and pantry volunteer, saw the need for a better, more permanent facility. He began conversations with area ministers about building or buying a new space. A vacant lot on South Main Street was headed to auction, and with support from the NAAC, Hoyt placed a bid on behalf of the pantry. The town accepted—and from that moment, the vision took root.
Hoyt, Father Joe from Saint Patrick, and Jim Gray, pastor of South Congregational Church, rallied individuals and organizations to raise the funds needed to build a new facility. Hoyt and others completed the groundwork and cellar preparation. LaValley Building Supply offered the building materials at a generous rate. The walls of the new building went up the night before Christmas—a moment Perry remembers vividly. “It was a sight to see!” she says.
Construction moved swiftly thanks to volunteers who donated time and skills for finish carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, and painting. The result was the Hoyt Community Care Center—a resource not just for Newport but for the surrounding towns.
The building initially included more than a food pantry. There was a small emergency shelter room added for families needing a safe place to stay for up to three days. Although the shelter was later phased out and replaced with a walk-in freezer, Perry notes that the spirit of outreach remained. The downstairs space, once used for household goods and furniture, also hosted the Christmas Gift Program before it relocated to the old hospital building on Summer Street.
The pantry regularly held summer yard sales to raise funds, and a part-time outreach office helped families with financial counseling, budgeting assistance, and emergency needs on the days the pantry was closed.
For a time, Christmas baskets for up to 325 families were assembled at Assumption Hall and later at the Hoyt Community Care Center. Perry credits the overwhelming community support and volunteer energy that made those efforts possible. “We had a lot of community help to fill the boxes and the volunteers were so happy to help. Easier access for us, more room for families to pick up their baskets, and parking was more practical,” she says.
After the new building opened, Perry and Hoyt began weekly trips to the New Hampshire Food Bank in Manchester. “Bill Hoyt and I would go on Thursday and get hundreds of items and bring them back to our pantry,” she recalls. “It was mostly 19 cents a pound at that time.” When they couldn’t make the trip, Pastor David Snell from the First Baptist Church would step in. Sometimes, the food bank even delivered by refrigerated truck—a huge help during busy months.
Reflecting on the years of growth and change, Perry sees continuity in the heart of the pantry. “We have been very fortunate over the years to use this great building and to have the foresight of many helping hands for it to continue with the service it was designed for. God willing it will be there for many years to come,” she says.
Today, the Newport Food Pantry serves residents from 11 surrounding towns and provides more than 5,000 meals every month to over 100 families. Its work—still fueled by donations, volunteers, and community partnerships—stands as a testament to what can be built when people come together to meet a need.
Thanks to the generosity of our community, we’ve come this far—and with your continued support, we can go even further. To get involved, contact: [email protected] or make a tax-deductible donation to: Newport Food Pantry, PO Box 672, Newport, NH 03773.
