CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FOOD BANK RECEIVES $100,000 FROM THE PNC FOUNDATION
The gift will be used to bring more food to families in need during the coronavirus pandemic
HARRISBURG, PA (April 14, 2020) – The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank announced it received a $100,000 grant from the PNC Foundation to aid in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
This gift will be used to help meet the needs of food insecure residents of central Pennsylvania during the COVID-19 crisis. To feed children and their families, as well as all those facing hunger during this time, the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank is packing and distributing boxes of crisis response food. All Crisis Response Boxes contain approximately 25 pounds of shelf-stable food as well as fresh milk, produce, and meat. To reduce barriers, the Food Bank provides all Crisis Response food to its partners at no cost. The funding from the PNC Foundation will help underwrite the costs of procuring, packing, and distributing the Crisis Response food.
“PNC has been a longtime partner of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank and we are grateful for their wonderful gift to aid in our response to the COVID-19 crisis,” said Joe Arthur, executive director of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. “With schools closed and so many families facing an uncertain financial future, we need to make sure that everyone still has enough nutritious food to stay healthy. Life-sustaining gifts like this one will help us ensure that no family is hungry through this crisis and beyond.”
The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank and PNC share a large footprint in central Pennsylvania. The Food Bank serves 27 counties, many of which overlap with PNC’s market, including Centre, Dauphin, Lancaster and York. Some of the work the Food Bank has been doing in these areas will be supported by this grant, including:
- Biweekly Crisis Response distributions across Harrisburg supported by the Harrisburg School District and the Harrisburg Police Department.
- Weekly Crisis Response distributions by PowerPacks in Lancaster County, a partner of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.
- Continuation of BackPack programs while schools remain closed in York County.
- Distribution of grab and go meals and Crisis Response boxes to youth feeding sites across Centre County.
“The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank has deep roots in communities across our region and the infrastructure in place to feed as many school children and their families as quickly as possible,” said Jim Hoehn, PNC regional president for Central Pennsylvania. “We know the strength of PNC depends on the well-being of the communities we serve, and now it’s more important than ever that we help people in the places where we work and live.”
Families looking to access food in central Pennsylvania should visit the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank’s website at www.centralpafoodbank.org and click on the Find Food feature. Families can also call the Food Bank’s Food Stamps Helpline at 1-877-999-5964.
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About PNC Foundation
The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group (www.pnc.com), actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through Grow Up Great, its signature cause that began in 2004, PNC has created a bilingual $500 million, multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life.
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 nearly 135,000 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.