HARRISBURG, Pa. –- The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank held a Grand Opening of its Williamsport Healthy Food Hub on Monday, December 19. The celebration marked the culmination of the Bold Journey…Until No One is Hungry Capital Campaign, a nine-month $3.3 million dollar construction project. Increasing demands for food assistance made this expansion project necessary to support the Food Bank’s Bold Goal strategic initiative of providing access to enough nutritious food to everyone struggling with hunger in central Pennsylvania by 2025.
“In the 13 northern central counties, the Food Bank currently serves roughly half of the individuals struggling with hunger, so we had to increase our capacity to meet the need,” said Joe Arthur, executive director, Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. “Our goal is to distribute 20.6 million meals annually from our Williamsport Healthy Food Hub and this expansion will enable us to do that,” said Arthur.
The Bold Journey Capital Campaign was spearheaded up by a volunteer committee of local leaders and chaired by Ron Frick of M&T Bank. “I extend my appreciation and heartfelt thanks to the business, foundation and individual donors in our community who supported our Bold Journey Capital Campaign,” said Capital Campaign Chair Ron Frick, Vice President and Senior Relationship Manager, M&T Bank. “This Healthy Food Hub will provide additional access to fresh foods and resources for the 275 agencies serving those in need in our community.”
Healthy Food Hub
The new $3.3 million 30,000 square foot facility will serve as a food hub for 13 counties. The goal for this Healthy Food Hub is to serve 20.6 million meals from 6.5 million meals that we currently serve by 2025. Highlights of this new Healthy Food Hub include:
- Expanded from a 17,000 sq. ft. facility to a 30,000 sq. ft. food hub;
- Increased freezer space and cold storage – 400 sq. ft. to over 3,000 sq. ft. for fresh fruits, vegetables, milk and meats; and
- Provide more nutrition awareness through the new Community Learning Kitchen for our growing network of over 275 partner agencies in the region.
This Healthy Food Hub will directly provide food to agencies operating in the 13 counties of north central Pennsylvania (Centre, Union, Northumberland, Montour, Clearfield, Columbia, Snyder, Sullivan, Lycoming, Clinton, Potter, Tioga and Bradford).
Donations to support the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank can be made online at http://www.centralpafoodbank,org or by calling 570.321.8023.
Source: Central Pennsylvania Food Bank