About Us
We provide a charitable community service through the operation of our food pantry for the needy in Mount Jackson. We are established and operate as a non-profit charitable organization that is tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3), and accordingly, donations to us are tax deductible. Our Tax EIN is 54-1588922. This organization is an equal opportunity provider.
Open Door Food Pantry, Mount Jackson, VA
Necessity is the Mother of Invention
In the late1960’s John van Hengel in Phoenix, AZ, met a desperate mother.
This mother regularly rummaged through grocery store garbage bins to find almost expired food for her ten children after her husband was sentenced to death row.
She suggested to van Hengel that there should be a place where this almost expired food could be stored for people to pick up, rather than thrown away, similar to the way banks store money for future use.
With that, an industry is born. Van Hengel established the St. Mary’s Food Bank, the nation’s first food bank in 1967. By 1977, food banks were established in 18 cities across the country.
The Origins of the Open Door Food Pantry
In 1979, Tim and Donna Wolfe operated a grocery store in Mount Jackson, Virginia. They began to see many people who were food insecure.
They combined their efforts with three local residents, Helena Jordan, Mrs. John, and Rhonda Tibbetts, and developed the idea of opening a local food pantry. They discovered an empty warehouse owned by the town across from the funeral home and Methodist church and this site became the first location for the Open Door Food Pantry.
From 2004 to 2025, we operated from a building owned by Peter and Wanda Shoemaker in Mount Jackson. In January 2026, we moved to our current site of operations at the Shenandoah County Community Center.
The Open Door Food Pantry is part of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Community.
How We Operate
Serving guests every third Thursday of the month
We receive food donations 6 times per week from our partner, Food Lion. Volunteers pick up that food, bring it to the pantry, weigh, organize and store the food.
The week of distribution we receive our shipment from BRAFB. Volunteers unload the shipment and setup the line in readiness for distribution. The Wednesday before distribution, volunteers bag donated breads and sweets.
We also purchase foods needed to round out our “menu”. We give out food once a month on the 3rd Thursday from 12-6 pm.
Preparing for distribution day. Volunteers all have their specific jobs on the line so it flows smoothly and according to the information they have for the guests who are in line.
Distribution day - Guests are greeted in their cars and family information is obtained. Guests are checked in through the Link2Feed website and provided with food according to their family size.
The shelves at the end of distribution day. We typically run out of most things by or before 6pm. The whole process starts over in preparation for the next month.
Would you like to help?
Your donation provides more than just food—it offers hope, dignity, and relief to families facing hunger. Every dollar helps put meals on the table for those in need. Give today and make a difference!
Would you like to volunteer?
We welcome people who would like to volunteer for us! Please get in touch and we will give you more information on the positions available. We are located in Mount Jackson, Virginia.
