West Chester, Pa (June 5, 2024) – The Chester County Food Bank was awarded $50,000 in state funding to continue to fight hunger and increase access to healthy, nutritious food in our community, state Senator Carolyn Comitta announced.
The funding comes through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
“The Chester County Food Bank and its network of hunger relief partners distribute millions of pounds of food each year to families and residents in need,” state Senator Carolyn Comitta said. “This investment will help ensure that its staff and volunteers can expand their efforts to address food insecurity and ensure everyone in our community has access to the nutrition they need to thrive.”
“We are incredibly grateful for the $50,000 awarded through the TEFAP Reach and Resiliency Grant,” said Andrea Youndt, CEO of the Chester County Food Bank. “This funding will enable us to significantly expand access to fresh foods across our network, ensuring that more families in Chester County have the nutritious options they need for a healthy lifestyle. We are thankful for the continued support from our state lawmakers.”
The grant comes as part of $2.07 million in total TEFAP funding awarded to 57 food banks, pantries, shelters, and soup kitchens across the Commonwealth. The program awards funding to organizations distributing USDA Foods through TEFAP contracts with the state, county, or a county-designated lead agency. Two other organizations in Chester County, Kennett Area Community Service and Phoenixville Area Community Services were awarded $26,650 and $50,000 respectively.
“Pennsylvania enjoys an incredible bounty of natural resources and generous communities willing to help feed those in need,” Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “Expanding the capacity of community organizations to supply fresh, healthy food to families in need is a key element of Shapiro Administration’s strategy to invest in a healthier, more secure Pennsylvania.”
Funded projects include mobile food pantries, expanded cold storage and warehouse space, delivery vehicles, and other investments that expand TEFAP’s reach into isolated or underserved rural or low-income communities.
This is the second round of TEFAP Reach and Resiliency Grants. In September 2023, Pennsylvania awarded $1.6 million to 39 organizations working to reduce food insecurity across the state.
According to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap report, in 2022,11.9 percent of Pennsylvanians, more than 1.5 million people, did not know the source of their next meal.
###