Cheryl, from Ewing, who asked to be referred to by her first name for privacy, says she first stumbled upon the Arm in Arm Mobile Food Pantry by accident.
“I was on my way back from the DMV and I saw all these people outside the library,” she says, adding, “I stopped to see what was going on and they gave me a bag. That was a year ago and I’ve been coming every Monday since.”
She says she appreciates the fresh fruits and vegetables most, though she says with a grin, “I don’t eat the corn. I have my own corn stand I go to for that. I pick up a bag for my niece too. She gets my corn.”
Every Monday from 2-4 p.m., the inside and outside of the Mercer County Public Library in Lawrenceville is transformed into a hub of food and social service assistance for the local community.
The pantry’s large blue truck, its sides painted with the names of corporate donors, is hard to miss, perched beside the library facing Route 1.
Outside the truck a long table is lined with blue bags. According to Andre Gause, the pantry’s coordinator, who has been running the Mobile Food Pantry since July 2024, each bag is stocked with fresh produce, cereal, canned goods, and shelf-stable milk. This is the weekly stop of the Arm in Arm Mobile Food Pantry, a lifeline for many Mercer County families.
Gause says when he began, there were 40-50 families visiting the pantry each week. Now, in the fall of 2025, there are between 120 and 150. In the last week of September, they hit a record for this location, feeding 157 families.
Gause says that the pantry, which spends about $200,000 a year on fresh produce, was created to bring healthy food directly into communities where access can be limited. “We want to make it easy for anyone who needs it,” Gause says.
Gause said that people visiting the pantry must show proof that they live in Mercer County and are over the age of 18. Once they sign in, they receive a card with a number on it, which they must turn in at the pantry table to receive their bag.
The operation relies on the support of staff and volunteers like Tyrone Riley, a truck driver who has been on staff for a decade.
“I’ve seen this grow from a handful of families to over a hundred every week,” Riley says. He starts his mornings early, picking up food and deliveries before the truck makes its way to the library.
Two other volunteers who help distribute the food are Joe Koehler, from Lawrence, and Ken Disbrow, from Hamilton.
They both say that the work gives them a deep sense of purpose.
“People are always so thankful,” Koehler says, adding, “You can see how much it means to them.”
James Damron, who works for the library and helps facilitate the process each week, says that Arm in Arm reached out to the library last summer about adding it as one of the Mobile Food Pantry stops.
Damron says that he didn’t realize there was such a need in the area.
“It never occurred to me how many people in the area are on a fixed income,” Damron said. “Coming here to get food really does help meet a need for a lot of people.”
Sue, a patron who lives in the senior building across from the library and asked to be referred to by her first name for privacy, says, “The produce is usually really good.” She adds chuckling, “Sometimes the bananas are rotten, but that’s okay — the rest is great.”
For many like Sue, the convenience and consistency of the Mobile Food Pantry make it an invaluable resource.
At the same time as the Mobile Food Pantry serves those in need of food outside, the library’s community room transforms into a resource center of local support. Tables are lined with pamphlets and community agency staff offer guidance on low-cost transportation, veterans benefits, and social services.
Gause explains that on most Mondays the Mercer County Board of Social Services also parks a mobile unit outside the library, allowing residents to ask questions and submit applications.
“It’s one-stop access to food and resources,” Gause says.
The Mobile Food Pantry meets people at every stage of need.
Gause describes one patron saying, “[He was] a big guy. Then he got cancer and now he is so small. It breaks my heart. But he’s a fighter. I’m glad we are here to help.”
More information about Arm in Arm, including their other Mobile Food Pantry stops and additional services they offer, can be found at arminarm.org
Correction: James Damron’s name was spelled incorrectly in an earlier version. It was updated for accuracy in Friday, Oct. 24, 2025.
