500,000 individuals helped. 50 million meals provided. 46 million pounds of food. Elevated food insecurity in central Pennsylvania can be calculated with these staggering statistics. The true impact of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank’s mission during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, is measured by the gratefulness of the people we serve, the simple comfort a box of fresh food provides, and the glimmer of hope that keeps families going in the face of uncertainty.

The 40 percent increase in demand, disruption in the food supply chain, and safety protocols for volunteers posed challenges to the Food Bank’s mission. The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank launched a significant crisis response, but not without cost.

Supermarket shortages left little behind for the usual level of food donations. Food is more expensive, especially fresh healthy items. Grocery dollars do not go as far as they used to for clients or the Food Bank.

Our expenses to maintain our operation are up more than 35%. It cost about $500,000 more per month in 2020 for the warehousing, freezers and refrigeration, transportation, and distribution as well as increased cost to acquire fresh, healthy food to keep up with demand. In addition to purchasing millions of extra pounds of increasingly expensive staple foods, we had to implement a night shift, Saturday receiving and distribution, and expand to an offsite packing operation.

The Food Bank’s service territory is more than twice the size of New Jersey. When the economy shifted overnight, the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank leaned into it. As a central healthy food hub for our network of nearly 1,000 local agencies, the Food Bank invests in these critical partners with infrastructure like refrigeration, shelving, or trucks; and during the pandemic the Food Bank waived the usual modest cost sharing for 335,000 Crisis Response Boxes of healthy, shelf-stable food. We also delivered 22.4 million pounds of no cost USDA fruits, vegetables, dairy, and protein. In 2020, we awarded grant money to more than 100 of our partners to supply, support, and sustain them. These grants and donations allowed partners to improve their capacity, provide more refrigerator and freezer space, expand their selection of food items, and set up safe distribution methods.

The generosity of central Pennsylvanians has allowed the Food Bank to keep up with the need in our community through the duration of the COVID crisis and continue to support food insecure neighbors during the prolonged recovery period. Higher levels of need and elevated costs are expected to continue for many more months, even years. We will manage our resources wisely so no one in central Pennsylvania will go hungry.

How can you lend a helping hand?

  • Support our efforts by donating today.
  • Host your own Virtual Food Drive and help many more of your neighbors in need by raising funds for the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. Every dollar counts!
  • Give the gift of time by volunteering. Volunteerism is critical to the core mission of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank and our partner agencies.