We welcome all low-income families, seniors, and individuals who meet the eligibility requirements set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). We are open in the afternoons and evenings. We have recently added a morning opening for the Food Pantry. You can come to the Food Pantry once (1) per week and twice (2) per month.

Residents of Utica, Rome, the Mohawk Valley, and surrounding areas are encouraged to use our services. We invite you to share information about the JPC Food Pantry and its hours of operation with your friends and family through social media platforms, text messages, e-mails, or phone calls.

Please take a look at the flyer below, which lists food that will be given to the community.

If you are visiting the Food Pantry for the first time, the head of the household must bring identification (ID) for everyone living in the household. We accept a variety of government-issued IDs, including:

1. Birth Certificates

2. New York State (NYS) Driver's Licenses

3. NYS Photo IDs

4. NYS Driver License Cards

5. NYS Benefit Cards

6. Medicaid Cards

7. Medicare Cards.

For those needing to recertify for the JPC Annual Low-Income Recertification, please bring your JPC Food Pantry Card (JPCFPC) and the required government identification for all household members. As the chart states below, meeting the USDA's eligibility guidelines is crucial.

We offer parking for those traveling by car. The entry point for our food distribution line is located in the 1400 block, starting from the corner of Arthur and West Streets, heading north, and leading past the JPC Community Garden towards the Johnson Park Center Food Pantry, at 1405 West Street, Utica, NY 13501, where our registration station is located.

Our dedicated registration personnel will scan each head of household's JPC Food Pantry Cards (JPCFPC). Please present a government-issued ID corresponding to your JPCFPC for verification to ensure a smooth process.

If you need to obtain your JPCFPC, our registration personnel may ask you to print your name and verify that your card has been processed. If your card cannot be located, you will need to complete a new Food Pantry Intake Application.

If you, as the head of the household, are visiting the JPC Food Pantry for any of the following reasons:

a. You are a first-time visitor.

b. Add or remove individuals from your existing Food Pantry Intake application on file at JPC.

c. To replace a lost JPCFPC.

Our registration personnel will guide you to the Intake Station, located at Johnson Park Center Headquarters, 26 Johnson Park, Utica, NY 13501, where friendly staff members are prepared to assist you in completing the necessary JPC Food Pantry Intake Application. You will be issued either a JPCFPC or a temporary JPCFPC, which can only be used on that day.

Please go back to:

i. The food distribution line and the registration personnel will scan or review your JPCFPC or temporary JPCFPC.

ii. The next station to sign in and complete the documentation based on your JPCFPC or temporary JPCFPC.

iii. The various food stations and exit the JPC Free Choice Food Pantry area.

Thank you for your unwavering support. Together, we can continue to create Positive Change at Johnson Park Center (JPC).

Rev. Dr. Maria A. Scates, D.D.

President / CEO / Founder

Based on Annual Incomes

2025 Guidelines*

Household Size------Income

1----------------------$35,213

2----------------------$47,588

3----------------------$59,963

4----------------------$72,338

5----------------------$84,713

6----------------------$97,088

7----------------------$109,463

8----------------------$121,838

For Each Additional Person: