The Bread Basket Bolt will be Saturday, May 16th, at 9 a.m.

LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — Putting food on the table is not always easy for every family.

That is why a nonprofit in Lackawanna County is planning to hit the pavement soon. Maria Santomauro is the Executive Director of Bread Basket of NEPA. The nonprofit hosts a food giveaway on Wednesday mornings at Elm Park United Methodist Church in downtown Scranton.

“On a good day. These shelves are completely stocked, but we are just finishing with today’s pantry hours, and we have been wiped out,” Santomauro said.

The nonprofit has seven locations across our area and served nearly 30,000 residents in 2025 alone.

“It’s not really great that we have high numbers, but it’s great that we can help,” Santomauro said.

50 people came to the Elm Park pantry on Wednesday to stock up on essentials.

“We’ve seen the need grow ever since the SNAP benefits got cut a couple of years back. Those are reinstated, but it seems like the we have kept current clientele that we have,” Rosemary Bohenek said.

Bohenek is the president of the board of directors at Bread Basket of NEPA. She came up with the idea to organize a race to raise money to support the cause. 

“Every penny raised at the Bread Basket Bolt will go towards feeding our neighbors here in Lackawanna County,” Bohenek said.

The Bread Basket Bolt is set for Saturday, May 16th at 9 am, winding through the Lackawanna Heritage Trail. It includes both a 5K and 10K option as well as a two-mile walk.

“It’s all walks of life that are needing food. You’d be surprised. It’s people working two or three jobs trying to make ends meet, and they’re doing their best and still falling short. Anything to help them put food on the table,” Bohenek said.

If you’d like to participate, you can sign up until race day. To find out more information on how to register, click here.

The nonprofit is also looking for volunteers throughout the upcoming months as colleges are out for the summer. They encourage residents to contact them at BreadBasketNEPA@Verizon.net if interested.