As the holiday season fades and winter settles in, the generosity that fills food pantries in November and December often begins to slow. For families already living on the edge, January, February and March can be some of the hardest months of the year.
“People are very generous during the holidays with monetary and food donations, but by the end of this month our donation source starts to dwindle,” said Diane Coyle, president of the Interfaith Food Alliance (IFA). “In February and March we don’t get as many donations. At the same time, some people lose seasonal jobs they had during the holidays, or work in fields like landscaping that slow down during the winter. Once those jobs end, there’s a void until warmer weather approaches.”
For more than a decade, the IFA has worked hard to fill that void for Morrisville families, ensuring children in the Morrisville School District do not go hungry year round and especially during the long winter months.
Founded in 2015, this non-denominational, faith-based nonprofit celebrated its 10th anniversary last September. What began with just three families has grown into a vital community resource now serving 100 families including approximately 200 children, the vast majority of whom attend school in Morrisville.
“We’ve been here for a long time, and we plan on remaining here for a long time,” Coyle said.
The Interfaith Food Alliance operates what is known as the Family Backpack Center, a pantry designed specifically to provide food for children and their families in the Morrisville School District who are food insecure.
“Our bylaws focus on Lower Bucks County, with a strong emphasis on the Morrisville School District,” Coyle said. “At this point, about 90 percent of families in the district are financially disadvantaged, so the need is significant.”
The IFA was founded by Diane Casey, who was already deeply involved in fighting food insecurity through volunteer work in Newtown and throughout Lower Bucks County. At the time, St. Mary Medical Center was sending backpacks of food home with children on Fridays so they would have meals over the weekend. Casey helped organize that effort and was eventually asked to oversee the Morrisville portion of the program.
“She couldn’t commit to being there every Friday, so she started this pantry,” Coyle explained. “She brought together seven or eight faith organizations, and our focus from the beginning was children in the Morrisville School District.”
The pantry’s first home was at the Zubaida Foundation Mosque on Big Oak Road, one of IFA’s original partner faith communities and still an active supporter today. However, the location was not centrally accessible for many families. Eventually, the pantry relocated to the Morrisville United Methodist Church at 501 West Maple Ave., where it now operates on the second floor.
“The nice thing is that many families can actually walk here if they need food,” Coyle said. “We have parents walking with baby strollers or wagons to carry their food home.”
In its earliest days, families shopped directly in the pantry, selecting items themselves. As the number of families grew, long waits became difficult, especially for parents juggling young children.
“Before COVID, people were waiting a long time,” Coyle said. “That wasn’t working well anymore.”
When the pandemic hit, the pantry pivoted quickly.
“Diane Casey came up with the idea of packing the bags,” Coyle said. “Families would pull up, we’d bring the bags out, and we managed to stay open all through COVID.”
Even after restrictions were lifted, the packed-bag system remained, guided by feedback from families themselves. It was shortly after Covid that Coyle took over when Diane moved out of the area.
“I did a survey asking if families wanted to shop or have bags packed,” Coyle said. “The majority said they preferred the bags packed because they didn’t have time to wait, especially with young children.”
Today, families still have choices. Each household fills out a request card indicating how much of each item they want, selecting preferences for things like soups or cereal and noting allergies or dietary needs.
“Every family has a number and a bin,” Coyle explained. “That lets us customize their food, accommodate allergies, and add special items.”
Those special touches often include birthday bags for children and books donated through the Cops N Kids program so every child can leave with something to read.
Because the Family Backpack Center primarily serves families with children, the pantry is intentionally stocked with kid-friendly foods alongside fresh produce and healthier options.
“As a mom, if you’re trying to get your child out the door and they’ll only eat Fruity Pebbles, then we get them Fruity Pebbles,” Coyle said. “We do talk about healthy eating, but we also understand reality.”
Along with staples like pasta, canned meats, and fresh vegetables, the pantry provides school snacks, breakfast items, and occasional desserts.
“One mom told me her kids are always excited to open the bags and see what’s inside,” Coyle said. “If we have treats, we put them in.”
The pantry also provides items not covered by SNAP benefits, including personal and feminine hygiene products, diapers, wipes, formula, shampoo, toothpaste, paper towels, and toilet paper.
“These things are expensive, and families really need them,” Coyle said.
The vast majority of IFA’s clients have children enrolled in the Morrisville School District. The organization works closely with school guidance counselors to verify students and ensure families are connected to resources.
Families must show proof they live in Morrisville and have children to qualify. Those without children are referred to the church’s downstairs pantry, which operates during the week.
Beyond food, the IFA connects families with additional support, from job referrals through organizations like CareerLink to emergency housing resources and help navigating benefits.
“Sometimes people just don’t know where to go,” Coyle said. “We try to guide them.”
Local businesses, farms, civic groups, and 15 faith communities support IFA through donations, volunteers, and partnerships. Morrisville Mayor Gary Wallace is also a strong advocate, helping connect local needs with local solutions.
“We all may worship differently,” Coyle said, “but we have a common goal; to feed those in need.”
As the organization enters 2026, growth brings both opportunity and challenge. A newly acquired extra room upstairs allows IFA to serve up to 120 families, and planning for the future is already underway.
“We’re going to put together a written strategic plan for the first time,” Coyle said. “It will look at where we’re going, how we grow, and how we can be more involved in the community.”
A board retreat, new partnerships, and expanded volunteer opportunities, including local high school students, are all part of that vision. Starting this month, volunteers can sign up to be upstairs packing food bags and shelving donated food or to carry bags of food down the steps to clients.
The Interfaith Food Alliance’s Family Backpack Center is open the second and fourth Saturdays of each month from 9 to 11 am and the Tuesdays before those Saturdays from 5 to 7 pm. Donations and volunteers are always welcome.
As winter stretches on, the need remains constant, but so does the Morrisville community, determined to take care of its children and families.
For more information about the IFA, or to donate or volunteer, visit interfaithfoodalliance.com/.
