Impact and Policy Research

The Impact and Policy Research Team at the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank aspires to be a leading force in the fight against food insecurity, catalyzing transformative change at the intersection of research, policy, and community action. Together with our partners and supporters, we strive to build a brighter future where every individual can thrive with dignity and access to nutritious food.

According to Feeding America's most recent localized food insecurity estimates, one in seven residents (14.4%) of the six-county region comprised of Bradford, Clinton, Lycoming, Potter, Sullivan, and Tioga counties experienced food insecurity. As of 2023, almost 40,000 people in the Northern Tier, including more than 11,000 children and youth under the age of 18, were unsure where their next meal would come from. Food insecurity is not evenly distributed across the region; although it burdens residents of every county, municipality, and neighborhood within the Northern Tier, the exact weight of that burden varies based on demographic characteristics, geography, and many other economic and social factors.

This Community Hunger Mapping Report aims to shine a light on the dispersion, experience, and causes of food insecurity throughout the Northern Tier region via the use of community-engaged research methods. Importantly, the perspectives of food insecure neighbors were collected through surveys conducted on-site at food pantries as well as at other community resource locations. Throughout the project, the research team sought to depict the food insecurity landscape, the charitable food system's response to it, and the experiences of food pantry visitors with the detail, nuance, and compassion they deserve.

To learn more about the 2026 Northern Tier Community Hunger Mapping Report's findings and recommendations, please see the Executive Summary or the Full Report.