A grassroots food pantry in Memphis is delivering groceries and essentials to immigrant families who are too afraid to leave their homes due to increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. The Immigrant Pantry, run by volunteers from Indivisible Memphis and other community members, was established last summer in anticipation of the raids, which have since spread across the city.
Amber Hampton, a volunteer with Indivisible Memphis, said the idea emerged from a meeting where Latino community members expressed fear and pain. “There was a communication barrier, but there was not a feeling barrier,” she said. Many families were staying indoors, with some parents even keeping children home from school.
The pantry operates from private homes where non-perishable items are stored, and volunteers deliver fresh meat, produce, and dairy along with hygiene products and medicine. Jessica Miller, another volunteer, said the thought of people being “prisoners in their own home” drove the effort. Deliveries rose from eight per week initially to nearly 30 after the National Guard deployment in September, with up to 200 people on the waiting list.
The number of delivery drivers has grown from a dozen to around 130, and a volunteer built an app to coordinate logistics. Hampton described it as a true community effort, involving people of different backgrounds and political views. The pantry ensures culturally appropriate foods, including dry beans, Nido powdered milk, and masa corn flour, to provide comfort during what Miller called “terrorism.”
