Food banks serving many more people during COVID-19 pandemic

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Pennsylvania – Please join us in saying thank you to food banks and food pantries who are helping families who are struggling financially through the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you find yourself with a little extra food in your own pantry or money in your wallet, please consider donating to one of our local food pantries.

Want to make a donation? Contact your local food pantry or food bank and ask how you can donate. Usual drop-off points might be closed due to coronavirus concerns.

DuBois Area Food Pantry info:

  • P.O. Box 157, DuBois, PA
  • 814-371-2470
  • New location is 228 First Street in DuBois, across the street from the Third Ward Hose Company (on the road past the DuBois Diner and Fox’s Pizza Den, heading toward the DuBois Country Club)
  • Please do not just drop off items. Call first to learn new COVID-19 protocol for donations.

Examples of useful donations:

** Canned goods – vegetables, fruits, but especially canned meats

** The staples – pasta, pasta sauce, rice, powdered mashed potatoes, powdered milk, “just add milk/egg/water” meal kits… and spices to add to the meals!

** Kid favorites – peanut butter, jelly, microwavable mac and cheese, granola bars, juice boxes, fruit snacks, things they can make when parents aren’t home

** Treats – many of these families are in dire situations… being able to have coffee, a candy bar, brownie mix, mints, etc can be a nice “escape from reality” and makes things feel more normal

** Non-food items – toilet paper, feminine hygiene products, toothpaste, mouthwash, pet food, and can openers

PA Secretary of Agriculture, Russell Redding, is urging you to think of others when you do your necessary grocery shopping. Don’t buy more than you need so shelves aren’t bare for others, and consider donating food you’re not using to a food bank, like the one in DuBois.

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Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf is thanking food banks, farmers, volunteers and others across the state for helping to feed Pennsylvania families during the pandemic.

The governor visited the York County Food Bank’s East York Emergency Food Hub, which provides groceries to approximately 2,000 families each Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

“Pennsylvania’s network of food banks is helping to provide fresh and nutritious meals for Pennsylvania families as the state safely reopens,” said Gov. Wolf. “I want to thank all of the volunteers, farmers, food producers, non-profits and businesses that are donating and supporting food banks across the state.”

 

The York County Food Bank has provided 2.4 million meals and volunteers donated more than 4,000 hours at drive-thru, walk-thru and pop-up distribution at locations throughout the county since the COVID-19 pandemic started.

“We are very thankful that Governor Wolf has chosen to take time out of his busy schedule to visit the York County Food Bank and see firsthand our operations,” said Jennifer Brillhart, President & CEO, York County Food Bank. “Our staff and volunteers have been working hard to meet the increased demand for food due to the COVID-19 pandemic and we are incredibly grateful for the support of Governor Wolf and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture for providing us with the resources to meet the critical need.”

The Wolf Administration has invested in several initiatives to address food insecurity, including $50 million through the USDA’s Farmers to Families Food Box program to purchase surplus milk and other dairy products, chicken, pork and fresh produce from Pennsylvania farmers who lost markets for their products because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and $40 million in funding through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to support Pennsylvania’s dairy industry and food security programs, following months of uncertainty and loss from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Specifically, $15 million will provide an opportunity for dairy farmers to receive direct relief payments and $5 million will go to reimburse farmers donating dairy products through the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System (PASS). This Department of Agriculture program helps food producers donate safe food to food banks and be reimbursed for harvesting, processing, packaging and transporting costs of donated food.

An additional $15 million will be used for cash grants to counties for the purchase and distribution of food to low income individuals through the State Food Purchase Program and $5 million will go to the PASS program to reimburse the agricultural industry for the costs involved in harvesting, processing, packaging and transporting food that they donate to the charitable food system.

Visitors to food banks can get groceries through June 25 without providing financial eligibility under the Disaster Household Distribution program, through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). The Department of Agriculture estimates that in 2020, $80 million in food will be distributed through Pennsylvania’s charitable food system in all 67 counties, using the state’s allocation of federal TEFAP funds. More food security resources are available here.

“I was proud to meet the volunteers at the York County Food Bank and thank them for their efforts to help our neighbors in need,” said Gov. Wolf. “They exemplify the spirit in community after community to help families keep food on the table as we all work together to safely move Pennsylvania forward.”

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