Fr. Jack Jones Food Pantry
Daring to Care Since 1970.
Hunger should never claim another child’s life. That conviction drove Father Jack Jones to rally a city into action more than 50 years ago—and it still drives us today. Our walk-up food pantry serves the neighborhoods surrounding Churchill Downs and the University of Louisville, where child poverty rates remain among the highest in Kentucky.
For information email Aaron Baer at abaer@archlou.org
secure hope here.
Looking to donate goods?
Every can of soup, every bag of rice, every box of diapers tells a neighbor, you matter. The Father Jack Jones Food Pantry depends on donated goods to keep shelves full and families fed. By contributing non-perishable food, household staples, or baby essentials, you extend care directly into the hands of those who need it most.
Holy Name Catholic Church Campus
2914 S 3rd St.
Louisville, KY 40208
Pantry Open
Wednesday & Thursday
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Special December Hours
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23rd
10am to 12pm
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24th Closed
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25th Closed
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30th 10am to 12pm
WESNESDAY, DECEMBER 31st Closed
THURSDAY, JANUARY 1st Closed
We accept donated good Tuesday - Thursday from 8am to 12pm. If you are looking to donate goods, please come by 2914 S 3rd St. during these hours.
Ways you can help.
We are in need of regular, reliable volunteers—those who can help lift and move heavy loads, assist clients in Spanish, and show up each week to serve our neighbors with dignity.
- Food Pantry Support – Help stock, organize, prepare and distribute food.
- Spanish-speaking volunteers in high demand
- Set-up – People who can lift up to 50 pounds, move up and down three stairs
- Donate Essential Items – Your gift of essential items—like food, toiletries, or cleaning supplies—helps neighbors meet their most basic needs with dignity.
If you are interested in volunteering contact to Debbie Belt at dbelt@archlou.org.
Why we dare to care
In the winter of 1969, Louisville was shaken by a tragedy that should never have happened. A nine-year-old boy named Bobby Ellis died of starvation in his family’s downtown home. His death became a symbol of the hidden hunger facing thousands of families in our city—an unbearable reminder that poverty and hunger were closer than anyone wanted to believe.
Among those most deeply moved was Father Jack Jones, a young Catholic priest who believed no child should ever die of hunger in a community capable of helping. Father Jack didn’t look away. He rallied his parish, his neighbors, and soon the entire city to take action. Together, they began collecting and distributing food to families in crisis. What started as an urgent local response quickly grew into something much larger: the model for Dare to Care, Louisville’s first regional food bank.
From those early days of neighbors feeding neighbors, Father Jack’s legacy has lived on. The Father Jack Jones Food Pantry, founded in his honor, continues to meet urgent food needs with dignity and compassion. Today, families facing hunger walk through our doors knowing that they will be seen, heard, and cared for.
Bobby’s story and Father Jack’s response remind us why we cannot grow complacent. Hunger remains a reality for far too many in Louisville. But as Father Jack showed us, when people dare to care, lives are saved, dignity is restored, and communities are strengthened.
Hunger Ends Here.
When you give, you feed more than bodies - you nourish dignity, hope and human potential.