A longtime lifeline for Bay Area residents, the South Hayward Parish food pantry will close after more than five decades of service, Hayward officials and church leaders said this week.
Church cites expansion of shelter services and limits of campus
The pantry, operated from the First Presbyterian Church campus under the South Hayward Parish name, served hundreds of families each week, according to the church and city statements. Church leaders said growth in other community programs on the same property has strained space and finances to the point that continuing both operations is no longer feasible.
“The growth of our services over these past 7 years has pushed the limits of this property and our financial resources,” the church said in a statement. “We have worked and prayed to discern how to best steward our resources and live our mission to meet community needs, and it has become clear that operating both a food pantry and shelter on the same campus is no longer sustainable.”
The church confirmed it reached an agreement with the Presbytery of San Francisco in 2019 to preserve the site as a community resource when the property faced a potential sale. Under that arrangement, First Presbyterian leased and continued to operate the pantry under the South Hayward Parish name.
Shift to a 24-hour emergency shelter and housing programs
With the pantry closing, the church plans to continue operating the campus as a 24-hour emergency shelter and to expand services designed to connect shelter guests with housing more quickly. The shelter will remain limited to 25 people because of space constraints, the church said.
Church leaders said the change is intended to reduce activity and traffic around the property and to keep the facility in use while officials and stakeholders work on plans for long-term redevelopment of the site.
Short-term impacts and next steps for pantry users
First Presbyterian said it is working to connect pantry users to nearby food distribution programs after the pantry’s last day, which Hayward city officials confirmed will be Friday.
- Pantry served: hundreds of families each week
- Length of service: more than 50 years
- Preservation agreement: reached with the Presbytery of San Francisco in 2019
- Shelter capacity on campus: 25 people
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Pantry operation | More than 50 years |
| Preservation partnership | 2019 with Presbytery of San Francisco |
| Last day | Friday (as announced by city officials) |
| Shelter limit | 25 people |
City leaders and social-service providers will now be tasked with absorbing increased demand for food assistance and ensuring continuity of services for families who relied on the pantry. The church has not published a detailed list of the nearby food distribution programs it will refer pantry users to, saying only that it is working to make those connections.
Community implications
For decades, the pantry’s presence on the church campus made it a regular point of contact between residents and faith-based social services. Its closure represents both a loss of a familiar food source and a reorientation of the campus toward shelter and homelessness services.
Officials and providers I spoke with noted two competing priorities: maintaining emergency shelter capacity and minimizing neighborhood disruptions, while also preserving access to food resources for low-income residents. The church’s announcement framed the decision as one of stewardship, prioritizing programs it believes will address urgent housing needs.
As Hayward moves forward, local agencies, faith groups and food banks will need to coordinate to fill the gap left by a pantry that operated for more than half a century. City officials did not provide an exhaustive list of alternate food distribution sites; residents seeking assistance should contact Hayward’s human services or the church for referral information.
The church said its shelter and expanded housing-navigation services will continue on the campus even as discussions about long-term redevelopment of the property proceed.
