Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank is asking Berks and Schuylkill countians to help fight hunger in their communities in September, designated as Hunger Action Month.<\/p>\n
The rising cost of groceries and energy continue to strain household budgets, forcing some to choose between paying rent, affording essential medicine, or putting food on the table, officials said in their announcement of the initiative.<\/p>\n
An increasing number of Pennsylvanians are turning to food pantries to help bridge the gap, organization officials said. According to the latest data from Feeding America\u2019s Map the Meal Gap study, more than 1.7 million Pennsylvanians, including more than 500,000 children, experienced food insecurity in 2024, the highest level since 2014.<\/p>\n
In Berks and Schuylkilll, 14.4% and 14.9% percent of people, respectively, have experienced food insecurity this year, officials said. That means roughly 1 in 7 people \u2014 including nearly 25,000 children \u2014 are unsure where their next meal is coming from.<\/p>\n
Helping Harvest recently reported<\/a> that, along with its partner agencies, it distributed 12,483,834 pounds of food valued at more than $22 million during fiscal year 2026 in Berks and Schuylkill. The figure represents a 21.8% increase over the prior fiscal year.<\/p>\n Officials said they don\u2019t expect the demand to subside this year.<\/p>\n \u201cHunger in our community is real, and it\u2019s growing \u2014 but so is our resolve to meet it,\u201d Helping Harvest President Jay Worrall said. \u201cThis September, we\u2019re asking our neighbors in Berks and Schuylkill counties to play their part.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are on pace to distribute 14 million pounds of food by the end of the year \u2014 and that is because of people who show up, give generously, and refuse to look away. Hunger is a solvable problem, and together, we can solve it.\u201d<\/p>\n The food bank, which is joining with Feeding Pennsylvania and the nationwide Feeding America network in the effort, offered these ways to help:<\/p>\n \u2022 Make a gift at helpingharvest.org\/donate\/<\/a><\/p>\n