READING, Pa. – Snow from last week’s storm forced a lot of schedules to shift, including one local food access program.
Sydney Kay reports from Reading on how it impacted Helping Harvest’s Mobile Market. The mobile market has become a staple for families in Shenandoah, in Schuylkill County.
The mobile market was rescheduled to Monday. It will take place at Mrs. T’s Pierogies on Herald Road in Shenandoah at 11 a.m. The organization serves more than 160 families in Shenandoah, said Dave Delozier, Chief Development Officer with Helping Harvest.
Delozier said Helping Harvest is part of Feeding America, which is the largest charitable food network in the U.S. Feeding America has 200 food banks.
Helping Harvest’s Mobile Market covers Berks and Schuylkill counties. It takes in donated and purchased food and distributes it to about 350 locations, such as soup kitchens, shelters, and schools.
Delozier said Helping Harvest provides close to 11 million pounds of food a year. It has partners throughout Berks and Schuylkill counties.
He said the mobile market became popular after it was started during the COVID-19 pandemic.
There are 22 of them throughout Berks and Schuylkill counties, Delozier said. Every month, people drive up in their cars and get a trunk full of food, he said.
The organization takes bulk food and turning it into “heat and eat ready meals,” Delozier said.
He said Helping Harvest produces as many as 4,000 of the meals a week.
Helping Harvest’s Weekender program distributes about 4500 bags of food to children every Friday.
You can go to the organization’s website to find information on how to volunteer and how to donate food, as well as check out a food map to find out where the closest mobile market or food pantry is to where you live.
You can also call Helping Harvest at 610-926-5802.