Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank says it will reorganize its food distribution services in Schuylkill County this fall as it faces steep federal funding cuts.
The nonprofit announced that recent changes to U.S. Department of Agriculture programs and to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will reduce available food resources for low-income households in the county by as much as $11 million each year for the next decade.
Beginning in November, Helping Harvest will shift its distribution model after conducting what it says is a census-tract analysis of food assistance needs and the availability of other charitable food resources in the county.
The change means some current food distribution sites will no longer receive support from the organization. Resources will instead be redirected to other locations identified as higher-need.
According to Nikki Gum, marketing and communications coordinator at Reading-based Helping Harvest, the organization currently serves 117 pantries and mobile markets in Schuylkill County.
In 2024, Helping Harvest distributed nearly 2.7 million pounds (valued at more than $5.3 million) of food in Schuylkill County. Demand for Helping Harvest’s services has risen sharply in Schuylkill County, too. Just five years ago, in 2019, the organization distributed 1.09 million pounds of food here. That’s 147% more in that time.
After this reorganization, Helping Harvest will continue to serve more than 100 of those sites. A list of which sites that will no longer get Helping Harvest support has not been finalized. Those sites will likely be ones that currently receive support from other organizations and aren’t completely dependent upon Helping Harvest.
The food bank said the new approach will also sharpen its focus on children and seniors, with more resources directed to programs such as School Pantry, Weekender, Maternal Health, and deliveries of fresh and frozen food to low-income senior high-rises.
Helping Harvest said the reorganization is necessary to stretch resources amid shrinking federal support and increasing demand for services, while maintaining its commitment to county residents experiencing food insecurity.
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