Donation to go directly to helping children throughout 27 central Pennsylvania counties
(HARRISBURG, PA – September 23, 2019) – The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank today announced that it is receiving a donation of $122,000 from Sheetz For the Kidz, a charitable organization driven by the employees of Sheetz, Inc., to help provide hunger-relief to children in central PA. The funds will be used to support the transformation of the Food Bank’s youth programs.
The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank helps to provide 127,000 meals annually to children in need through its network of local agency partners including food pantries, soup kitchens and meal programs. The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, a member of the Feeding America® network, is one of 27 food banks to receive this funding from Sheetz For the Kidz. It is projected that this grant will enable the Food Bank to restructure its traditional BackPack programs that only serve the child, into school pantry and mobile distribution programs that feed the whole family, because when a child is hungry, most likely the whole family is food insecure.
“The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank is proud to partner with Sheetz to expand our youth programs,” said Joe Arthur, Executive Director. “Sheetz is a local partner committed to giving back to the communities they serve and their generous grant will help us transform traditional backpack programs into school pantries, reaching more individuals in need.”
In central Pennsylvania one in six children struggles with hunger. These children are living in households that do not have access to the food they need to thrive. In addition, many children throughout central PA receive free or reduced-price lunches and breakfasts during the school year, but in the summer, most of them lose access to these meals.
As a regional convenience store, Sheetz is committed to helping to fight childhood hunger in the communities it resides in. Through its program “Made-to-Share,” Sheetz is rescuing food from their 588 stores and donating it to Feeding America member food banks located in their six-state footprint.
“The number of children who struggle with hunger concerns our company greatly and we cannot sit back while children in our communities have difficulty obtaining their next meal,” said Sheetz President/COO Travis Sheetz. “Without adequate food and nutrition, children are unable to reach their full potential. We are deeply committed to helping children facing hunger and are proud that this donation from our corporate charity will go directly toward helping them fight, and win, this battle.”
To learn more about the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, please visit www.centralpafoodbank.org.
About the 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 135,000 neighbors 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 Sheetz, Inc.
Established in 1952 in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Sheetz, Inc. is one of America’s fastest-growing family-owned and operated convenience store chains with more than 19,000 employees. The company operates over 585 store locations throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and North Carolina. Sheetz provides an award-winning menu of M•T•O® sandwiches and salads, which are ordered through unique touch-screen order point terminals. All Sheetz convenience stores are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For, Sheetz is committed to offering employees sustainable careers built on an inspiring culture and community engagement. For more information, visit www.sheetz.com or follow us on Twitter (@sheetz), Facebook (www.facebook.com/sheetz) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/sheetz).
About Sheetz For the Kidz
Sheetz For the Kidz is a non-profit organization, designated as a 501(c) (3) charity, independent of the Sheetz Corporation. The organization was created in 1992 by local store employees wanting to help local children. The mission of the charity is to provide support, hope, joy and happiness to children in need within the communities in which Sheetz operates. To date, the charity has impacted more than 119,500 children living in the communities Sheetz serves!