Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank distributed 12.5 million pounds of food in Schuylkill and Berks counties during fiscal year 2026. It’s the most the organization has ever distributed, according to a news release.
Valued at $22 million, the distribution was a 21.8% increase over fiscal 2025.
The results reflect a sustained demand for food assistance across the region, the organization said.
“The need for food assistance in our communities continues to grow, and so does our commitment to meeting that need in new ways,” said Helping Harvest President Jay Worrall. “Reaching older students through school pantries and 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.”
Two programs in particular saw expansion, both involving schools — the Weekender and School Pantry programs.
The Weekender program, which provides bags of food for students to take home on weekends and during school breaks, distributed 134,489 bags at 91 sites across the two counties. That’s the most it has distributed in a single year.
The School Pantry program grew from 5 to 8 schools, adding locations in middle and high schools.
The pantry model is designed with older students in mind. Rather than receiving a prepackaged bag, students can select food for their households, providing greater choice and dignity.
An outgrowth of the Weekender program, it better suits the needs of older students, the organization said.
Helping Harvest operates food pantries at Minersville, Schuylkill Haven and Pottsville high schools, and D.H.H. Lengel Middle School in Pottsville.
The Crimson Cabinet at D.H.H. Lengle Middle School in the Pottsville Area School District. (HELPING HARVEST)
In Berks, the program operates in Reading, Wyomissing, Governor Mifflin and Conrad Weiser school districts.
Helping Harvest, which delivers food to 350 partner agencies, is in its first year of a strategic plan that will guide the organization through 2030.
When the plan was announced in May, Worrall said it gives the organization a clear path to reach more neighbors, serve them better and build an organization that is strong and sustainable in years to come.