New space expected to have a ‘major impact’ on Centre County anti-hunger program
With help from community donations, the YMCA of Centre County has been able to feed thousands of local families and students, and a new partnership has allowed the anti-hunger program to expand.
The “No Child Hungry Distribution Center” will be located at the Moshannon Valley Enterprise Center in Philipsburg. With help from the Moshannon Valley Economic Development Partnership, the new space will allow the YMCA to store food and supplies used for its feeding programs.
YMCA feeding programs have seen increased community need since the pandemic began, Mel Curtis, executive director of the Moshannon Valley YMCA, said. The 15,000-square-foot facility has multiple loading docks to make unloading donations and supplies easier and will also help volunteers social distance while packing backpacks and food boxes.
“It’s going to make a major impact on our program,” Curtis said. “We’re going from 5,000 square feet to 15,000 square feet. We’ll be able to carry more food and take more stock on when we’re doing our food distributions. It’s a win-win.”
Since March, the YMCA of Centre County has served more than 339,000 meals to families, seniors and children in need at 50 feeding sites. Hundreds of volunteers logged nearly 13,000 hours of service while helping distribute 600 tons of food.
Curtis thanked Moshannon Valley Economic Development Partnership Executive Director Stan LaFuria and the board of directors for supporting the program. Volunteers will help move supplies from the YMCA to the new facility over the weekend.
“This is yet another example of how people have come together to help others during COVID-19,” Curtis said.
This story was originally published January 8, 2021 at 3:08 PM.
