Shapiro Administration Awards $2.07 Million to 57 Foodbanks, Pantries, and Soup Kitchens to Expand Emergency Food Access Across Pennsylvania

​Harrisburg, PA - Today, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding announced awards of more than $2.07 million to 57 food banks, pantries, shelters, and soup kitchens across Pennsylvania through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) Reach and Resiliency Grants. Today's grants demonstrate the Shapiro Administration's commitment to fighting hunger and food insecurity and increasing access to healthy food for Pennsylvanians, wherever they live.

"Pennsylvania enjoys an incredible bounty of natural resources and generous communities willing to help feed those in need," Secretary Redding said. "Expanding the capacity of community organizations to supply fresh, healthy food to families in need is a key element of Shapiro Administration's strategy to invest in a healthier, more secure Pennsylvania."

TEFAP Reach and Resiliency Grants are being awarded to organizations distributing USDA Foods through TEFAP contracts with the state, county, or a county-designated Lead Agency.

Funded projects include mobile food pantries, expanded cold storage and warehouse space, delivery vehicles, and other investments that expand TEFAP's reach into isolated or underserved rural or low-income communities.

This is the second round of TEFAP Reach and Resiliency Grants. In September 2023, Pennsylvania awarded $1.6 million to 39 organizations working to reduce food insecurity across the state.

According to Feeding America's Map the Meal GapOpens In A New Windowreport, in 2022, 11.9% of Pennsylvanians, more than 1.5 million people, did not know the source of their next meal.

Schuylkill Community Action, in Pottsville, serves a rural area with 19,400 residents, or 13.4%, who are characterized as food insecure in the report. The nonprofit received $50,000 for a mobile food pantry that will serve Latinx and other rural residents, many of whom have no grocery store or readily available fresh food in their communities.

"This TEFAP Reach and Resiliency grant is a game-changer for our community," said Schuylkill Community Action Executive Director Dave Young. "With the new box truck, we can extend our reach to rural and remote areas, ensuring that no one in Schuylkill County, including our growing Latinx community, has to struggle with food insecurity due to transportation barriers. This initiative is crucial for bridging the gap in access to nutritious food and improving the well-being of all our residents."

The Shapiro Administration made strides toward filling the "meal gap" in 2023-24, providing universal free breakfast for the first time to 1.7 million public school students and free lunch to all 22,000 Pennsylvania students who are eligible for reduced-price lunches. Nutritious, locally-grown apples will be on the menu for those students after the Administration dedicated $2 million of $6.8 million in 2023-24 USDA Local Food for Local Schools funds to meet the challenge of helping Pennsylvania's apple growers keep a bumper crop of apples from going to waste.

For 2024-25 Governor Shapiro has proposed $3 million in new funding to provide emergency food assistance for low-income Pennsylvanians, connect surplus food donated by farmers through the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System Opens In A New Windowto food banks and food pantries statewide, support low income families and seniors with fresh, local food through the Farmers Market Nutrition Program, and supply low-income seniors with Senior Food BoxesOpens In A New Windowfilled with nutritious dietary staples.

TEFAP Reach and Resiliency grant recipients announced today:

Regional

Bucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia counties

Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Mitzvah Food Program -- $49,910

Luzerne, Wyoming counties

Commission on Economic Opportunity, Weinberg Foodbank -- $50,000

Single County

Adams County

South Central Community Action Program - $46,870

Allegheny County

Goodwill of SW Pennsylvania Northside Common Ministries Pantry - $25,299

Community Human Services Food Bank - $50,000

Swissvale Cares - $49,360

Rankin Christian Center -- $50,000

North Hills Community Outreach -- $15,251

Beaver County

Church of the Redeemed of Beaver County -- $50,000

Berks County

The Salvation Army, Reading - $16,538

Blair County

Central Pennsylvania Food Bank -- $50,000

Bradford County

Bentley Creek Wesleyan Church, Helping Hands Food Pantry -- $14,462

Cambria County

Interfaith Community Food Pantry - $46,855

Women's Help Center -- $50,000

St. Vincent de Paul Food for Families -- $42,432

Cameron County

Northern Tier Community Action Corporation -- $50,000

Carbon County

Grace Community Church Panther Valley Food Bank -- $43,060

Chester County

Chester County Food Bank - $50,000

Kennett Area Community Service -- $26,650

Phoenixville Area Community Services -- $50,000

Columbia County

AGAPE -- $50,000

Cumberland County

Project SHARE of Carlisle - $31,447

Dauphin County

Harrisburg Area Food Pantry - $15,000

Delaware County

DELCO Food Project -- $50,000

MT. Zion CME Food Pantry -- $50,000

Erie County

Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania - $20,000

Fayette County

Fayette County Community Action Agency - $30,000

Lackawanna County

Friends of the Poor - $50,000

Lancaster County

Columbia Presbyterian Church Columbia Dream Center -- $7,475

Lawrence County

New Life Baptist Church of New Wilmington -- $25,000

Mercer County

Community Food Warehouse of Mercer County - $36,735

Monroe County

Stroudsburg Wesleyan Church Food Pantry - $50,000

Montgomery County

ACLAMO Safe Haven Food Pantry and Community Closet - $20,000

Family Promise Montco PA - $18,500

Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities -- $23,000

Salvation Army Norristown -- $15,885

Share Food Program -- $50,000

Shepherd's Shelf -- $10,000

Northampton County

Easton Area Neighborhood Centers - $7,000

Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast PA - $47,299

Philadelphia County

Puentes de Salud Food Pharmacy Program -- $50,000

North Light Community Center Food Pantry -- $11,300

Feast of Justice -- $50,000

Small Things -- $7,750

Mizpah Seventh-Day Adventist Church Food Pantry -- $50,000

REID Foundation Philadelphia Food Pantries -- $50,000

Second Antioch Baptist Food Pantry -- $50,000

Temple University Health Episcopal Campus Food Pantry -- $50,000

Potter County

Potter County Human Services Food Banks -- $9,700

Schuylkill County

Schuylkill Community Action - $50,000

Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank -- $33,650

Somerset County

Somerset County Mobile Food Bank -- $50,000

Warren County

The Salvation Army -- $24,000

Wayne County

Wayne County Food Pantry -- $9,857

Westmoreland County

Westmoreland County Food Bank -- $44,378

Wyoming County

Wyoming County Commissioners Food Pantry -- $50,000

York County

York County Food Bank - $50,000

Find foodbanks, pantries and other resources in your area, plus information on the Pennsylvania Food Policy Council, and what you can do to help fight food insecurity at agriculture.pa.gov/foodsecurity.

Contact: Shannon Powers, [email protected], 717.603.2056

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