CommonFood started by feeding 8 families. How it became the ‘best kept secret’ in Centre County

In 2011, Jim and Sheryl Leaman moved to State College from Guatemala, where they were part of a mission program to distribute food to orphanages.

Just over a year later, the couple would again find themselves helping to provide food to people through CommonFood, a nonprofit organization created to feed underprivileged families in central Pennsylvania.

The initiative started within Calvary Church, feeding around eight families. In six and a half years, it has grown into a 501(c)3 that currently feeds around 130 families. Jim and Sheryl, CommonFood’s directors, are among the group of volunteers who work without pay to make CommonFood run. All funding the organization receives goes toward the cost of food and packing.

Every third Saturday of the month, families from across Centre County travel to Port Matilda Baptist Church to receive a box of food valued at around $135 to $150. The box includes foods like bread, meat, fruits, vegetables, cereal, chips and canned foods.

Most of the families served are from Tyrone, with 36 households served as of February 2019. The second largest number of households comes from Port Matilda, with 23 households served.

The Leamans said they believe many people who live in Centre County — specifically State College — would be shocked to find out many people in the region are food insecure. According to the most recent Census data, 17.2% of the Centre County population lives in poverty. Statewide, 12.5% of people live in poverty — a 4.7% difference.

Susan Romanini, CommonFood’s secretary and fundraiser, said as a local nurse she has seen the impact of food insecurity in State College.

“I understand and know that there’s a lot of need in this area — even in State College,” Romanini said. “People don’t want to acknowledge that, but there is.”

As CommonFood has grown in size over the years, so have relationships between volunteers and the families served.

“We feel like a big family, really is what it is,” Sheryl, who also serves as CommonFood’s treasurer, said. “There’s been times I’ve gotten big hugs, I’ve gotten kisses, and sometimes people just cheer up because it means a lot to them.”

Jim added that each third Saturday feels like a “reunion of family.”

“When you’re in that situation needing food and needing help, you sort of want to keep that a private thing to yourself,” said Jim, who is the organization’s president. “But these people have become so much of a family together, there’s really no stigma there for them. It’s a wonderful place for them to come.”

People utilize CommonFood as they need, Jim said. A diverse range of people — including single parents, jobless individuals, disabled individuals and people with high medical expenses — receive monthly boxes.

Central Pennsylvania Food Bank provides most of the food, which CommonFood purchases for a fraction of the wholesale cost. Between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017, CommonFood spent around $10,200 on food valued at around $107,600. This food provided about 53,700 meals.

If it weren’t for that connection, CommonFood “wouldn’t be near what it is,” Jim said.

Local businesses have also donated food to CommonFood — Weis Markets donates leftover meat, Wegmans donates almost-expired pastries and Sheetz donates almost-expired made-to-go foods.

In addition, local growers donate fruits and vegetables to the organization in the summer. Last summer, workers from Penn State’s Master Gardener program gave families seeds and showed them how to grow their own produce.

“My desire would be to get more fresh as it’s available into the hands of these people so they can eat healthy,” Sheryl said.

While distribution days are on Saturday, Sheryl, Jim and the other volunteers begin preparing several days ahead of time. Sheryl and Romanini make calls on Thursday and Friday reminding families to come for their box on Saturday.

Thursdays are packing days, in which 10 to 12 volunteers meet at to pack food assembly-line style into the boxes. The volunteers vary each month — church youth groups, Penn State campus organizations and sororities have helped pack the food.

CommonFood is just a distribution, not a food bank, meaning the organization doesn’t have its own facility — instead transporting food with a trailer and storing food at various churches in the Centre County area.

Also unlike a food bank, CommonFood is neither regulated by the state nor receives state funding. Because CommonFood is a nonprofit, Jim and Sheryl said they are able to create their own policies and rules. While someone can only go to one of Centre County’s food banks once a month, they are able to turn to CommonFood if they are still in need of food.

“If somebody goes to a food bank and they are still in a hardship of making ends meet and they ask us whether they can come to CommonFood, they are allowed to,” Jim said.

While the organization has primarily grown by word of mouth, Jim and Sheryl said they recently created a website and Facebook page to attract both new families and volunteers.

However, many still do not know about CommonFood or what they do for the community.

“The guy from the (Central Pennsylvania Food Bank), when he first heard about CommonFood and what we are doing, he said, ‘You are the best kept secret in Centre County,’ ” Jim said. “Because it’s not state-funded, so it’s just word of mouth.”

Jim, Sheryl and Romanini said their work at CommonFood is very rewarding, and they love helping members of the community and forming relationships with them.

“I do know that we’re helping people, and it is making a difference,” Sheryl said.