Our Mission

To support Yates County disadvantaged children by addressing issues of food insecurity and academic readiness.

To address poverty by empowering Yates County children and their families.

Our Vision

To reduce food insecurity among Yates County children and give them the school supplies necessary to begin a new academic year ready to succeed.

To be recognized as a generous and compassionate organization supporting Yates County children.

Bags of food distributed since 2008

School bags with supplies distributed since 2010

Years of service to children in Yates County

Our Work

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Weekend Back Pack Program

The program allows weekend food to be available for children in need.

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School Supplies Program

The program goal is to assure that each child is prepared for a successful school year by being provided teacher-requested school supplies.

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Milly’s Market & Café

The market offers sales of local artisan products, espresso drinks, light lunches, and desserts. Featuring free WiFi, the café is a comfortable gathering place for local residents and tourists.

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Kitchen & Ballroom

The commercial kitchen on the 2nd floor is available for entrepreneurial activities and cooking classes. The 3rd floor Ballroom complex are busy with private rental and health and wellness classes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who do you provide services to?

Children up to 18 years of age residing in Yates County.

What services do you provide?

Weekend food once a week to registered youth through Weekend Back Pack Program. Teacher requested school supplies for K-12 through School Supplies Program. Summer meals through Summer Food Program.

How can I help?

We value and encourage volunteering with our programming or Main Street business, Milly’s Market & Café. We also accept monetary donations by mail or drop off to Milly’s Market & Café.

Who is Milly?

Milly Camilla (Milly) Bloomquist was origin of inspiration (thus our name, Milly’s Pantry) who served the community as the school nurse for 30 years in Penn Yan, where she recognized and responded to the need she saw in the area. Her creation of numerous programs to help the poor and under-served children in Yates County began with Food for the Needy & Christmas for the Needy. “Milly” continued her leadership role over the last fifty years, creating and spearheading an all volunteer community workforce that has fed, clothed and provided school supplies to many in need across Yates County.
The most recent program, known as the Weekend Back Pack Program – purchases, packs and distributes food to children for consumption on weekends spent away from school lunch programs, where otherwise hunger would prevail.

For her unceasing lifetime of work in making life a bit easier for the children of Yates County, Camilla “Milly” Bloomquist has been awarded “THE PRESIDENTIAL CITIZENS MEDAL” by President Barack Obama at a White House ceremony in October of 2011.

What kind of items do you sell in your store?

We are home to nearly 150 local artists, craftspeople and food vendors.

We also provide our own from scratch light lunch menu items, old-fashion homemade sodas, milkshakes, and a coffee bar beverages.

Every $3 purchase helps provide food for a single child for a weekend.