HARRISBURG, Pa. — On Wednesday, volunteers with Central Dauphin's NutriPacks program were presented with a $25,000 grant from CommunityAid.
The organization, which operates out of Central Dauphin Middle School in Lower Paxton Township, provides meals to food-insecure families in the Central Dauphin School District.
NutriPacks currently assists 1,890 students in 1,200 households across the school district. Volunteers say they give out between 700 to 800 meals a week.
“It gets pretty busy in here," said Maryann Albert, who is a volunteer and former teacher in the Central Dauphin School District. "The families are waiting outside the doors, even before the time that they come to pick up. They’re really anxious to get in.”
Albert said the volunteers want to make sure that no child goes hungry in the school district.
“Most of the volunteers are retirees, a lot of them are teachers in the school district like I am," said Albert. "I feel like it’s an important thing for the kids to be fed.”
Pam Jones, the director of NutriPacks, said she's seen an increase in students and families getting food from NutriPacks. She said the money will help address the growing demand for food assistance, as well as the price of food.
“In order to serve 700 to 800 students a week and provide food for the weekend, our costs have significantly increased over the last couple of months," said Jones.
With each bag full of food, volunteers can provide Central Dauphin students with the best school supplies.
“If a kid is distracted by hunger, they’re not going to be able to absorb the other wonderful things that school is offering to them," said Chavah Redmond, the vice president of mission impact with CommuntiyAid.
“They’re just a happier, all-around student if they feel good," said Albert.