Heavenly Groceries is open to the public!

Tuesday and Thursday from 3-4:30pm

In the fellowship hall of St. Joseph CME Church (510 W. Rosemary St)

Bring a bag or a box for your food

Line up behind the church

Parking is available at the Hargraves Community Center (216 N. Roberson St.)

All are welcome!

Our History

Heavenly Groceries/Comida Celestial began in 2002 as a ministry of St. Joseph C.M.E. Church when Reverend Troy Harrison and his wife Bernice Harrison began collecting bread from the Entenmann’s factory and distributing it to members of the church. The food bank is open twice a week for distribution. In recent months, the food bank has had to discontinue weekend pickups due to limited numbers of volunteers.  This work is completed with the collaboration of local church members, UNC-Chapel Hill students, and other individuals from the community who sort, clean, and distribute all food. Groceries are provided for every person that arrives at our doors, there are neither restrictions nor requirements necessary to be given food. Patrons select their food, which provides each person the opportunity to choose food he or she will enjoy and that adheres to particular food traditions. This model is meant to honor individuals’ preferences and dignity during the act of receiving food from a food bank.

Our Mission

Heavenly Groceries/Comida Celestial is a certified food bank and ministry of St. Joseph CME Church, dedicated to providing quality produce and grocery items to the under-served communities in and surrounding Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The organization strives to preserve individual dignity and cultural food ways by allowing visitors the option of making their own food choices. Heavenly Groceries/Comida Celestial thrives off of a culture of compassion and community, cultivated by food’s ability to nurture the body and soul.

Dishing It Up

Check out this interactive project developed by two student partners committed to getting at the heart of Heavenly Groceries

Interested in Volunteering?

Volunteers are a vital component of Heavenly Groceries. Without the hard work and dedication of our volunteers, we would not function. Heavenly Groceries’ volunteers experience hands-on interactions with long term residents of the Northside community and build prosperous relationships with patrons and community members.

Volunteer responsibilities include:

  • Picking up and sorting food from community partners
  • Setting up before and cleaning up after the pantry is open
  • Helping run the distribution of grocery items

Contact Renna at renna@jacksoncenter.info for more information!

We ain’t going to change the world in one day! But we’re going to work at it a day at a time.

– Mrs. Gladys Pendergraph Brandon