Dave Lloyd, youth programs manager for the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, adds food boxes and milk to a recipient’s car during the holiday food distribution at the West Perry High School in December. 

 

Central Pennsylvania Food Bank Receives $100,000 from Partnership for Better Health
Gift will be used to support Healthy Food For Families school pantry programs in Perry County

 (Harrisburg, PA) – The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, headquartered in Harrisburg, with a second healthy food hub in Williamsport, recently received a $100,000 gift from the Partnership for Better Health to support its school pantry programs in Perry County, Pennsylvania.

Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, nearly 15 percent of children in Perry County were food insecure, meaning they do not have reliable access to three healthy meals every day.  Due to the economic consequences of the pandemic, now nearly 20 percent of Perry County children are food insecure.  The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank knows that when a child is hungry, the entire family is likely hungry as well.  The Food Bank is addressing this serious issue through its Healthy Food For Families initiatives, transforming traditional BackPack Programs that only provide food for the individual child into school pantry programs which will feed the entire family.  This gift from the Partnership for Better Health will help achieve these goals in four school districts throughout Perry County.

“Families in Perry County are hungry and have difficulty accessing fresh and healthy food near their rural homes,” said Joe Arthur, Executive Director of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.  “Through this wonderful gift from the Partnership for Better Health, as well as our partnership with the Perry County Food Bank, the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank will transform all current BackPack programs into school pantries with the capacity to carry meat, milk and produce for the entire family.  This will provide Perry County residents with the food they need to be healthy.”

“The Partnership for Better Health applauds the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank’s commitment to ending hunger and for applying best practices and strategies that ensure that Perry County school students and their families have access to nutritious food. The transition from a pre-packaged BackPack program to a ‘shopper’s choice’ school-based pantry program enables school districts to address food insecurity in an empowering way,” said Gail Witwer, Director of Health Promotion for Partnership for Better Health.

The Healthy Food For Families initiative in Perry County kicked off over the holiday season with a food distribution for 100 families at the West Perry High School.  The distribution was supported through the Partnership for Better Health grant and gave families all the fixings needed for a wonderful holiday meal.

To learn more about the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank and its youth programs and initiatives, please visit www.centralpafoodbank.org or call 717-564-1700.

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About Central Pennsylvania Food Bank
The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to reduce hunger in 27 counties across Pennsylvania. By working with more than 1,000 local agencies and partner programs, the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank serves more than 200,000 people in need every month. For more information on the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank and its mission to reduce hunger in Pennsylvania, visit centralpafoodbank.org or call 717-564-1700.

About Partnership for Better Health
The Partnership for Better Health is a community foundation that works collaboratively with organizations throughout the region to establish health as a shared priority and ensure that everyone has what they need for good health, toward making our communities among the healthiest in the nation. Grants benefit community members living in Central and Western Cumberland County, Perry County, Northern Adams County and the Greater Shippensburg Area.