Back Bay Mission Streamlines Food Pantry Process to Increase Guest Services

Back Bay Mission (BBM) in Biloxi, Miss., is always looking for ways to better serve its community. Over the past year, it has seen a significant increase in the number of individuals and families turning to its Client-Choice Food Pantry for assistance. To meet this growing need, BBM recently streamlined its shopping process in the pantry to serve people more efficiently. 

One of the biggest changes involves how guests receive their food from the pantry. Previously, guests would physically enter the pantry, grab a cart and select their own items from the shelves. While this system worked well for many years, the dramatic increase in daily visitors created long wait times and constraints for BBM’s volunteers and staff. 

Today, guests are handed a shopping list to circle which items they want, and then Back Bay Mission’s Food Pantry volunteers shop on their behalf. This updated process allows the BBM team to move more quickly, reduce wait times, and ensure that more neighbors receive the assistance they need each day.

While the process looks different, Back Bay Mission’s commitment to treating every single guest with dignity, respect, and patience remains the same.

Another exciting change is who can receive assistance from the Food Pantry.

In the past, pantry services were limited to residents of Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson counties. Today, any Mississippi resident can receive food assistance through Back Bay Mission.

Guests simply need to provide proof of Mississippi residency, such as:

• A Mississippi ID
• A lease agreement showing a Mississippi address

By expanding its services to all statewide, Back Bay Mission has been able to assist even more individuals and families facing food insecurity.

The pantry provides food and supplies for both housed and unsheltered guests. Unsheltered guests benefit from day-bags, which provide practical nutrition for individuals who may not have access to refrigeration, cooking facilities, or stable housing. A day-bag is a black bag packed by volunteers with enough food and supplies to help sustain an unsheltered guest for approximately one week. Items may include such items as ramen noodles, peanut butter, oatmeal, individually packaged snacks, bottled water, soft drinks, and protein-rich pop-top soups, among others.

As community needs continue to grow, these changes allow Back Bay Mission to provide food assistance to more people than ever before. With the help of its volunteers, Back Bay Mission is strengthening neighborhoods, seeking justice, and transforming lives one meal at a time.