PENNSYLVANIA, USA — From turkey to candy canes, food represents an integral part of the holiday season. However, a vast number of people locally and across the nation will struggle with food insecurity this year, which occurs when someone does not have reliable access to a consistent stream of food and nutrition.
Central Pennsylvania is no exception to the issue.
"In Central Pennsylvania we have about 330,000 people facing food insecurity, " said Jennifer Sands, the communications manger for Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. To put that in perspective, one in nine central Pennsylvanians struggle with hunger every day.
Sands' organization is one of the largest food nonprofit organizations in Central Pa., serving approximately 152,000 people each month across 27 counties.
However, several seasonal food drives pop up annually to combat the extra need during the holidays and feed local families throughout Thanksgiving and Christmas. These seasonal drives will often set up multiple drop-off locations and set a collection goal while year-round food pantries tend to stick to one consistent location and keep the same hours all year.
See below for a list of seasonal food drives and county-by-county, year-round food pantries in South Central Pennsylvania.
If you don't see your food drive or pantry on the list and want to add it, please let us know at news@fox43.com.
Seasonal Food drives
Water Street Mission annual "Rescue Mission Food Drive"
Dauphin County Library System and Bethesda Mission annual food drive
Weis Markets annual Fight Hunger Campaign
New Hope Ministries Feed-A-Friend
Year-round Food Pantries
Adams County:
SCCAP Gettysburg Pantry (Gettysburg)
SCCAP St. John's Lutheran Church Food Pantry (Abbottstown)
New Hope Ministries Food Bank (Littlestown)
New Hope Ministries Food Bank (New Oxford)
Cumberland County:
Project Share Food Bank (Carlisle)
King's Kettle Pantry (Shippensburg)
New Hope Ministries Food Bank (Enola)
New Hope Ministries Food Bank (Mechanicsburg)
New Hope Ministries Food Bank (Lemoyne)
Dauphin County:
Ecumenical Food Pantry (Harrisburg)
CrossPoint Food Pantry (Harrisburg)
Central Pennsylvania Food Bank (Harrisburg)
Hershey Food Bank (Hershey)
Franklin County:
Pete's Pantry at Salem United Brethren Church (Chambersburg)
Maranatha Ministries Food Pantry (Chambersburg)
Five Forks Brethren in Christ Food Pantry (Waynesboro)
Greencastle Presbyterian Church Food Pantry (Greencastle)
SCCAP Orrstown Food Pantry (Orrstown, Dry Run and Pleasant Hall areas)
SCCAP St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church Food Pantry (Fayetteville)
Juniata County:
Juniata County Food Bank (Mifflintown)
Lancaster County:
St. John's Episcopal Church Food Pantry (Lancaster)
Alpha & Omega Family Life Center Food Pantry (Lancaster)
New Creation UMC Food Pantry (Lancaster)
Mission Church Food Pantry (Lancaster)
Manheim Central Food Pantry (Manheim)
Columbia Food Bank (Columbia)
Mount Joy Food Bank (Mount Joy)
Community Cupboard of Elizabethtown (Elizabethtown)
Lighthouse Assembly of God Church Food Pantry (New Holland)
Petra Church Food Bank (New Holland)
Ephrata Area Social Services Food Pantry (Ephrata)
Lebanon County:
The Caring Cupboard (Palmyra)
Lebanon County Christian Ministries Food Bank
Mifflin County:
Mother Hubbard's Cupboard (Lewistown)
Perry County
Neighbor Helping Neighbor Food Bank (New Bloomfield)
York County:
Red Lion Area Community Services, Inc. Food Pantry (Red Lion, Dallastown, Eastern York areas)
Hearts for Hunger at Pleasant View Church (Red Lion)
New Hope Ministries Food Bank (Dillsburg)
New Hope Ministries Food Bank (Dover)
New Hope Ministries Food Bank (Hanover)
Southern York County Pantry (New Freedom)
Mason-Dixon Food Locker (Delta)