READING, Pa. – Helping Harvest Food Bank says it saw a record number of donations this year, distributing 12,483,834 pounds of food, valued at more than $22 million, during its 2026 fiscal year.
This marks a 21.8% increase from the prior fiscal year, the organization says.
The food bank serves Berks and Schuylkill Counties through a network of over 350 partner agencies.
The community resource says this increase reflects sustained demand for food assistance across the region, as well as continued growth in the programs Helping Harvest operates directly.
The two programs that saw the most expansion include the Weekender Program and the School Pantry Program, Helping Harvest says.
The Weekender Program provides bags of food to students to take home over weekends and school breaks. According to the organization, this program delivered 134,489 bags across 91 sites in Berks and Schuylkill Counties.
The food bank added that its School Pantry Program grew from five schools to eight, adding locations at middle and high schools in both counties.
Additionally, the organization shared that its Helping Harvest Community Kitchen also expanded its reach, providing over 14,000 congregate meals to seven agency partners, including Opportunity House, Safe Berks, and New Journey Community Outreach.
“The need for food assistance in our communities continues to grow, and so does our commitment to meeting that need in new ways,” said Jay Worrall, President of Helping Harvest.
“Reaching older students through school pantries, bringing meals directly to community agencies: these are examples of how we continue to evolve our approach to make sure no one is left behind,” Worrall added.
Helping Harvest says it is currently in the first year of a new strategic plan that will guide the organization through 2030.