Outreach Ministries

three women in aprons stand behind a table with food

Food Pantry

For more than 25 years, St. Paul’s By-the-Sea and our food pantry volunteers have been dedicated to alleviating food insecurity and providing assistance to individuals and families in need. Located in the heart of downtown Ocean City, our food pantry is proud to serve as Ocean City’s main food pantry. We are committed to ensuring that no one in our community goes hungry. We are equally committed to providing free pantry items without any qualifications or requirements. Year-round, our food pantry serves the local underserved community, and in the summer serves many seasonal workers in Ocean City.

The Food Pantry is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 10 am – 12 pm. Entrance is on 3rd Street.

Team Team

Community Kitchen

What began 27 years ago as a brown-bagged lunch made by volunteers has evolved into hearty hot meals served out of our community kitchen 5 days a week. We are committed to ensuring that no one in our community goes hungry. We are equally committed to providing free meals without any qualifications or requirements. Just like the food pantry, we provide year-round hot meals to the local underserved community and in the summers our numbers more than double with the influx of seasonal workers to Ocean City.

The community kitchen is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 10 am – 12 pm, and on Sundays from 1 pm – 2 pm. Entrance is on 3rd Street.

Overnight Shelter

On March 31, 2026, in response to the urgent need to house Ocean City’s homeless population, St. Paul’s By-the-Sea Outreach Ministries opened “Shelter By-the-Sea”. The shelter is open daily from 7 pm to 7 am.  There are no requirements to enter the shelter, however, there are rules to follow once you are inside! Guests are provided a safe place to sleep and are served breakfast and dinner. Our shelter is always staffed by two shelter employees who monitor and facilitate shelter activities from serving meals, enforcing rules, and making sure everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As Worcester county’s only low-barrier shelter, we are committed to ensuring that no one in our community is turned away.