Twin Rivers Food Pantry

Twin Rivers Food Pantry’s mission is to nourish, empower, and support neighbors in need.  

We nourish people by providing food and personal hygiene necessities and by prioritizing respect and dignity in our programs and operations.  We empower by providing resources, tools, and knowledge that build confidence and independence.  We support our shoppers through advocacy and raising community awareness about hunger and its impact.

We reduce food insecurity through our Choice Pantry program, we assist residents of Franklin and fifteen surrounding communities.  The Pantry resembles a small grocery store—our shoppers use grocery carts to browse our shelves and choose the food their households need and enjoy.  During 2025, we recorded 8,417 household visits/24,040 individuals, a 6% increase in usage over the previous year, and our service numbers continue to increase steadily.  We have experienced an increase in weekly visits from 77 households in 2022 to our current level of 170+ households each week and are diligently working to manage our inventory effectively to meet their needs, including purchasing nearly 300 half-gallons of farm-fresh milk each week.

During 2025, we distributed 575,535 pounds of food -- equivalent to 479,600 meals -- to families in need.  Although we serve nearly 2,000 individuals each month, we know we need greater outreach and service capacity to truly address the needs in our communities.

YOUR support will help us continue to purchase vital inventory for our programs.

In addition to our Choice Pantry program, our initiative, "Feed the Need!", addresses gaps in the availability of consistent and nutritious food for children.  Supplemental food bags are provided for weekends and extended school vacations when school meals are unavailable.  Our volunteers pack bags weekly for distribution by school personnel to children at Franklin and Andover schools.  Each bag contains milk and juice boxes, healthy breakfast and lunch items, and snacks.  We also provide snacks and quick meal options for students at Franklin High School.

We empower our shoppers by helping them connect with other assistance. Representatives from the Merrimack County Navigator Program are on site to share information about a range of support opportunities and to assist with applications. We also strive to ensure our shoppers are aware of local programs and services available to their families, such as drug and alcohol prevention, NH Food Bank Mobile Pantries, UNH Extension Online cooking classes, and health programs.  We also support them by providing recipes for the various foods they can select at the Pantry.  Once a month, we provide a recipe and a bag of the various foods they will need to cook it at home.  We believe in educating our clients on the different uses of our foods and how to prepare them.  This program has been popular, and many shoppers are participating.

While food remains our primary focus, we also offer basic personal care items, such as menstrual products, incontinence products, diapers, dish soap, and laundry detergent—items not covered by SNAP or WIC benefits.  As families make difficult choices about how best to spend their limited resources, choosing NOT to purchase certain hygiene items because the cost can result in missed work or school, stigma, and health issues.  For a working mother with a child in daycare, running out of diapers can mean lost pay.  The availability of diapers at the Pantry, which supplement their own purchases, is making a significant difference for young children and their families.

 Current economic uncertainty and Federal funding cuts are impacting our inventory support from USDA and the New Hampshire Food Bank.  At the same time, funding cuts are impacting critical supports for low-income households.  Meeting both rising inventory costs and the increasing need for assistance in our communities will be challenging, and we need your help!

Will you join us as we rise to this challenge and
continue to effectively support neighbors who are facing
tough choices to make ends meet?

 THANK YOU!