We are incredibly proud of partner organizations who are stepping up to the plate during this time of uncertainty. The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effects on families, leaving many without jobs, homes, and often times, food. This is where organizations like Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank, Lebanon County Christian Ministries, the Caring Cupboard, and local school districts have demonstrated their commitment to our community members. Each has quickly responded to the present situation by altering hours and distribution methods to continue to feed those in need in a safe manner.
Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank is working with more than 320 charitable food program partners throughout Berks and Schuylkill counties to ensure that families and individuals are able to access food in a safe manner. To meet the immediate food needs in the community, Helping Harvest is partnering with multiple local organizations to nearly triple their distribution volumes—reaching up to 340,000 pounds of food distributed per week! They are directing individuals to call them at 610-926-5802 x227 to be guided to food assistance in their area.
Lebanon County Christian Ministries has adapted their multitude of services to Lebanon residents. They are continuing to offer food distribution to community members in need using pre-scheduled appointments and a food pick-up line to minimize social contact. They shifted their free noon meal services to be “to-go,” and are continuing to offer food through the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) with restrictions on the number of guests in the building at one time. Updates on program hours and services can be found on Lebanon County Christian Ministries’ website: https://www.lccm.us/covid-19-updates.html.
The Caring Cupboard in Palmyra, PA has quickly adjusted their services to accommodate community food pickup with minimized contact and also support the needs of local COVID-19 patients. The Caring Cupboard has partnered with the Penn State Hershey Medical Center to coordinate home food deliveries for those quarantined after testing positive for COVID-19. We are incredibly proud of this community partner for going above and beyond their typical call of duty to support families in need during this time. Updates on community food distribution methods and hours are posted on the Caring Cupboard’s website: https://www.caringcupboard.org/covid19.
Although children in Lebanon and Berks counties are home from school for the rest of the current school year, free breakfast and lunch meal services will continue thanks to the tireless efforts of local school districts. Updates on meal distribution times and locations from Reading School District can be found on their district website: https://www.readingsd.org. Meal distribution information for Lebanon County school districts can be found on the United Way of Lebanon County COVID-19 Resource Page: https://www.unitedwaylebco.org/CommunitySupport#StudentMeals.
We would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to these organizations and countless others who are providing much needed assistance to our communities at this time.