Southside food pantry ramps up Thanksgiving distribution as need grows amid federal program cuts

Ahead of the holiday season, a Southside Jacksonville food pantry is ramping up its Thanksgiving food distribution. The Max Block Food Pantry in San Jose says it’s seeing a greater need amid federal entitlement program cuts.

The food on the truck is what Jewish Family & Community Services (JFCS) plans to sort into 400 food bags to serve the community, double the amount it did last year.

On Friday, volunteers inside the Max Block Food Pantry sorted food to hand out, including Jacksonville Run Club members like co-founder Jerome Jordan.

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“I just found out today’s National Kindness Day. This was just like unplanned,” Jordan said.

The food comes from donors and grocery chains. When the food is distributed before Thanksgiving, 200 food bags will be handed out daily, first come, first served. A hundred families each day will also get a $10 Walmart gift card toward purchasing a new turkey.

“The face of food insecurity and what people are eating is changing. The face that looks like me. It looks like you. It looks like people that are working,” said Phyllis Johnson, a JFCS board member.

Last year, the JFCS food pantry typically served 40 to 50 households a day. Now it’s around 100 households daily. Over the year, the pantry has served more than 46,000 people, about 15,000 more than last year.

Johnson said the need, especially with SNAP benefits, has impacted communities, and “we’re seeing more and more people coming out and needing those essentials.”

State of Jax figures show 14.5% of Jacksonville residents use SNAP benefits. In the “Big Beautiful Bill” of 2025, the Trump administration enacted policies restricting SNAP funding and eligibility.

JFCS’s charity flows as the River City area experiences food insecurity. A 2025 Feeding Northeast report found that more than 310,000 First Coast residents, including more than 93,000 children, are fighting hunger.

“I’m a big person, I like to eat, and I’m sure somebody else would like food on a day to celebrate,” Jordan said.

The Max Block Food Pantry’s food distribution will be held Nov. 24 and 25. Action News Jax will have times on ActionNewsJax.com.

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