Kitchen. Pantry. Garden.

OUR PROGRAMS

Friends of Jean Webster

Friends of Jean Webster, Inc. is the non-profit organization that operates Sister Jean’s Kitchen. Sister Jean’s Kitchen currently offers three programs:

The Kitchen, which serves free hot meals to hungry people every weekday. All are welcome!
The Pantry, which provides free groceries to individuals and families who are food insecure. Open three days a week, it allows guests freedom to choose only what they want. For homeless guests, the Pantry provides foods that do not require cooking.
The Garden, which seasonally provides fresh produce to members of the local community.

In all three programs, Sister Jean’s Kitchen welcomes all hungry people as honored guests.

1997 | Jean Webster posed in the new kitchen that was being constructed at the First Presbyterian Church on Pacific and Pennsylvania Avenues in Atlantic City—the original site of Sister Jean’s Kitchen.

helping families one meal at a time

Not-a-Soup Kitchen

Sister Jean’s Kitchen is not a soup kitchen, as we strive to maintain Jean’s original vision and offer our guests freshly prepared, hot and complete meals. Friends of Jean Webster, Inc. is a non-profit organization that exists to feed those experiencing food insecurity, not only in Atlantic City, but across all of Atlantic County. The mission of the Friends of Jean Webster, Inc. is to carry on the vision of Sister Jean and provide a safe place where guests can find food, comfort, and hope in an atmosphere of dignity and respect. The vision of Sister Jean was, and is, to alleviate chronic hunger for the people and families of Atlantic City and County by offering nutritious food and connections to resources and educational opportunities to mitigate circumstances surrounding food insecurity.

Sister Jean’s Kitchen provides meals, groceries, and produce from our garden without a cost to our guests. Jean’s mission of “God told me to feed the people!” began in 1982 out of her home kitchen and has persevered for 42 years because of our donors, volunteers, and strategic partners. The goal is to continue for another 42 years by doing the best work we can in an authentic and sincere manner and putting our guests first - just as Sister Jean did!

Choice Pantry

Sister Jean’s Choice Pantry offers a shopping experience to individuals and families, homebound seniors, adults with disabilities, young families, and those without housing. The Pantry, with the assistance of the Community Food Bank of NJ, provides food for over 3000 people and 1000 households per month. Our pantry is stocked with nourishing foods, including fresh and frozen proteins, dry goods and cereals, fresh produce, baked goods, home pantry staples, and canned foods. Sister Jean’s Pantry works to ensure that the nutritional needs of individuals and families in our community are met throughout the year.

The Pantry operates on a client-choice model where clients are permitted to choose the foods and supplies they need. Last year more than a million pounds of food were distributed by the Pantry. Choosing their own food gives our guests a sense of empowerment, rather than the helplessness of being told, “this is what you get.” Additionally, guests tend not to take food they won’t use, so little of our Choice Pantry foods go to waste. The diverse and shifting inventories of The Food Bank are well-suited to providing Sister Jean’s Choice Pantry with a wide array of products to offer our guests.

HOURS OF OPERATION
The pantry is open Tuesday morning (10:00am - 1:00pm) and Wednesday and Thursday afternoons (3:00pm - 5:30pm) year round. All are welcome.

Approximate number of families served each month: over 1,500
Approximate number of adults: over 2,600 adults
Approximate number of children: over 1,600 children

Garden

Sister Jean’s Kitchen staff and volunteers care for our Community Garden. Our garden is open to the public and is not fenced in, allowing community members to pick and take home fresh vegetables and fruits as they ripen. Last growing season our garden produced approximately a hundred pounds of free produce per month.

The Garden supports our vision to build a healthy community by increasing the consumption of unprocessed foods through an accessible point for fresh, local produce. Our Gardens improve the nutrition practices of youth and adults through the growth of healthy, sustainable foods complementing our Choice Pantry and Not-a-Soup Kitchen.