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Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania recognized local partner food pantries Thursday for their efforts to make healthy food options and nutrition education more visible and accessible to community members.<\/p>\n
The Healthy Pantry Initiative Award Ceremony was held at the Mercy Anchor Community Center and celebrated food pantries that completed Cohorts 3 and 4 of the Healthy Pantry Initiative.<\/p>\n
The Healthy Pantry Initiative is a program that works directly with local pantry partners to identify opportunities within their operations to encourage healthier food choices. Through collaboration and practical improvements, participating organizations create environments that support both nutrition and individual choice.<\/p>\n
\u201cHealthy food access is about more than having healthy foods available. It’s also about making those choices easier to see and providing people with information they can use,\u201d said Gregory D. Hall, Chief Executive Officer of Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania. \u201cWe are proud of the work these partner pantries have done and the commitment they’ve made to creating welcoming environments where people can access food and make choices that work for their households.\u201d<\/p>\n
The initiative is rooted in the understanding that how food is displayed can influence what people notice and select. By applying proven strategies in pantry settings, Healthy Pantry Initiative participants make nutritious options easier to identify while providing practical information to help individuals and families make informed decisions at home.<\/p>\n
Second Harvest works alongside participating pantries to implement customized strategies that meet the needs of each organization. These improvements may include enhanced food displays, educational signage, shelf talkers, produce information, recipe cards, food demonstrations, tastings, and other nutrition education opportunities.<\/p>\n
Among the organizations recognized was the Mercy Center for Women, whose Healthy Pantry serves approximately 750 families and more than 2,800 individuals each year.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur Healthy Pantry location feeds roughly 750 families a year and more than 2,800 individuals. We are very blessed. Our partnerships are critical to our campus and the surrounding Marvintown-Academy neighborhood,\u201d said Jennie Hagerty, Chief Executive Officer of Mercy Center for Women. \u201cWe are looking forward to partnering again soon with Second Harvest at MACC West.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Healthy Pantry Initiative is part of a statewide collaboration between Feeding Pennsylvania member food banks and the Pennsylvania Department of Health, aimed at improving access to nutritious food across the Commonwealth.<\/p>\n
\u201cFood access and health are deeply connected, and our charitable food network and the Healthy Pantry Initiative have an important role to play in helping Pennsylvanians access the nutritious food they need to thrive,\u201d said Julie Bancroft, CEO of Feeding Pennsylvania. \u201cSecond Harvest and their pantry partners have taken meaningful, practical steps to create environments that support neighbor dignity and healthy choices, and we’re proud to recognize the progress they are making in communities across northwest Pennsylvania.\u201d<\/p>\n
The long-term goal of the Healthy Pantry Initiative is to strengthen healthy food environments throughout the charitable food system and contribute to improved quality of life for Pennsylvanians who rely on food assistance programs.<\/p>\n
Second Harvest expressed gratitude to its partner food pantries and meal programs, as well as Feeding Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Department of Health, for their continued support of the initiative. Special thanks were also extended to the Mercy Anchor Community Center for hosting the award ceremony.<\/p>\n