A Plentiful Harvest
For 40 years, Catholic Harvest Food Pantry (CHFP) has been meeting the needs of neighbors in York struggling with food insecurity. CHFP currently serves as the only choice food pantry in York to hold at least one food distribution Monday-Friday.
Through the dedication of their staff and hundreds of volunteers, CHFP make a tangible difference for around 1,100 families each month. With approximately 45% of the community experiencing some level of food insecurity, their food distributions reach around 50,000 individuals each year.
Beyond their permanent location in York, they operate a mobile food pantry that takes food to those in need in Hellam and Lower Windsor townships. Households preschedule and pickup at a central location in their community, helping to expand CHFP’s impact and ability to serve those who are without a nearby food pantry resource.
CHFP’s monthly food distributions offer households essential personal care items, like toothpaste, soap, and diapers in addition to nonperishable, fresh produce, dairy, and frozen meats/proteins. They also hold the annual YorkGiving Distribution that gives a turkey and all sides for Thanksgiving to registered families each November. Finally, they provide birthday kits for kids. These include cake mix, icing, and candles to help provide memorable celebrations for families who would otherwise be unable to afford them.
CHFP’s pantry programs offer critical food support to a growing number of neighbors in need. Thanks to the support of the community, Catholic Harvest Food Pantry continues to provide nutritious food and essentials to those in York.
Supporting Families in Need
Fueling Impact Through Food
The CommunityAid Foundation officially partnered with Catholic Harvest in 2022. Since then, we strongly supported their outreach in York through several grants, our LIFTS Workshops, and Care Cards.
Since 2022, the Foundation has provided $45,000 in grants to magnify their impact. By providing financial support, we help offer programmatic stability and enable them to focus on their organization’s growth and services.
The largest of these grants helped provide food for 800+ families a month, offering a lifeline for those who had lost SNAP benefits or were struggling with the effects of inflation.
CHFP has also attended several of our LIFTS Workshops. These are led by industry leaders and offer best practices to develop nonprofit leaders and staff. Covered topics included Nonprofit Financial Management with Boyer and Ritter; Mission, Strategy, & Evaluation for Your Nonprofit by Dr. Ivy Buchan; and Legal & Ethical Issues Management.
Our Support
Finally, we provided $2,700 in Care Cards to supplement CHFP’s offerings. This enables them to offer additional support for those struggling with clothing insecurity or poverty. Because recipients can select the items they need themselves using these store vouchers, it provides them with a renewed sense of dignity.
Together, we are making a real difference for our neighbors in need. Are you interested in learning more about Catholic Harvest Food Pantry? You can do so on their website: https://www.catholicharvest.org/. You can hear more about other nonprofits we support here.