Second
Harvest Food Bank of NW PA, located in the old Sears warehouse at 1703
Ash Street, is the largest non-profit food distribution organization in
Northwest Pennsylvania. Our Food Bank, which has 29,000 square feet of
space, solicits, receives, inventories, stores, and distributes food and
grocery products to 252 member agencies in 11 counties in northwest
PA. The counties served are: Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford,
Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, McKean, Venango, and Warren. During 2007,
the Food Bank distributed approximately 7 million pounds of food.
Where does the food
come from?
Usable but unsalable food is donated to the Second Harvest Food Bank of NW PA from all
levels of the food industry, including:
Retailers
Manufacturers
Growers
Distributors
Food Drives
Wholesalers
How do we distribute
the food to the people who need it?
The Food Bank distributes food
to qualifying agencies, most of which provide food directly to needy
clients through various types of programs. These
people include unemployed and underemployed workers, those who are elderly or disabled,
and families caught in crisis situations. There are two general classifications for food
programs served by the Food Bank: emergency and non-emergency food programs.
Emergency Food Programs: Includes food pantries, soup
kitchens, and homeless shelters. The primary purpose of the emergency food programs is to feed
people in need of short-term or emergency food assistance. Seventy-eight percent of the food
distributed through agencies goes to these programs.
Non-Emergency Organizations:
Non-profit charitable organizations that provide important social
services to low-income people and may serve snacks or meals in the
course of their service to clients. These agencies include child
care centers, Kids Cafes, family service agencies, senior citizens food programs,
and rehabilitation centers.
Second
Harvest Food Bank of NW PA, located in the old Sears warehouse at 1703
Ash Street, is the largest non-profit food distribution organization in
Northwest Pennsylvania. Our Food Bank, which has 29,000 square feet of
space, solicits, receives, inventories, stores, and distributes food and
grocery products to 252 member agencies in 11 counties in northwest
PA. The counties served are: Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford,
Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, McKean, Venango, and Warren. During 2007,
the Food Bank distributed approximately 7 million pounds of food.
