Five nonprofits in Berks County are getting state funding to help fight hunger.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection announced it is investing nearly $185,000 in food banks, food pantries and soup kitchens through the Food Recovery Infrastructure Grant Program to help reduce food waste and fight hunger.
The following are receiving grants:
• Opportunity House, $49,924.
• Rehoboth Seventh-Day Adventist Church, $41,047.
• Berks Latino Workforce Development Corporation, $39,728.
• Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank, $39,750.
• St. Marks Evangelical Lutheran Church, $14,070.
“This program is all about getting good, fresh food to the Pennsylvanians who need it most instead of going to waste in landfills,” said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley. “Nonprofit organizations such as food banks and soup kitchens play a vital role in providing sustenance to commonwealth communities, so it’s important that the food they provide is transported and stored properly.”
Food Recovery Infrastructure Grants are awarded to reimburse the cost of equipment to store, transport or prepare recovered fresh foods to ensure the food can be redistributed to the public. Grants up to $50,000 were available per applicant.
Food waste was estimated to be the largest single component of the Pennsylvania waste stream, at nearly 1.6 million tons disposed.