State College Food Bank’s new facility to serve more people is taking shape. How you can help

Being hungry is not an uncommon experience in the United States.

In 2022 alone, 44.2 million people in the U.S. lived in households that struggled to feed everyone and nearly 7 million households had to skip meals at times because they couldn’t afford enough food, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

As more and more people in the U.S. experience food insecurity, food banks in central Pennsylvania are experiencing unprecedented levels of demand — including the State College Food Bank.

The nonprofit recently launched the $3 million “Fighting Hunger. Feeding Community. Building Hope” capital campaign. Funds go toward a new facility that will double size of the food bank’s current space, as well as the number of people it’s able to serve.

“We’ve known for a long time that we’ve outgrown our current facility,” Allayn Beck, the executive director of the State College Food Bank, said.

Running out of space

In the past year alone, Beck said the food bank has seen a 77% increase in individuals it serves from the 1321 S. Atherton St. building that it has called home for more than a decade. This year, State College Food Bank has served 9,198 individuals and 3,809 households as of October, according to Beck.

There’s not enough space for that kind of demand, and Beck said the lack of space affects operations.

“At the end of the day, everything in our warehouse gets moved into the lobby so we can work in the warehouse (in the morning),” Beck said. “At lunchtime, everything gets moved out of the lobby and back into the warehouse so we can distribute food.”

Renovations began this summer on the new facility, located at the former Apple Hill Antiques location on Gerald Street in College Township. There, volunteers will use the time saved by not having to move the same box of food back and forth all day to do what’s most important — help feed more people.

“We’re turning away donations because we physically can’t accept them,” Beck said. “We’ll be able to receive (and) store bigger donations (at the new facility).”

Beck said the impact of food insecurity is much more severe in Centre County than most people realize, adding that the COVID-19 pandemic and a rollback of SNAP payments only exacerbated the problem.

“All communities, unfortunately, have pockets of people that are facing some struggles — and that’s true in Centre County,” longtime food bank volunteer Dave Woodle said.

Along with supplying food, those who serve at the food bank hope to break down the stigma about coming to a food bank. Anybody can get served at the food bank as long as they have a referral through a case management program such as Centre Helps, Centre Volunteers in Medicine or the Salvation Army.

“We don’t have an income guideline — that’s intentional,” Beck said. “(State College Food Bank) is a safe place and a welcoming place, no matter your situation.”

What will the new facility look like?

The full construction cost for the new facility is estimated at $4.3 million. In addition to $1.3 million in profit generated by the sale of its current building at 1321 S. Atherton St., the capital campaign has so far raised about $2.4 million through grants and donations made by individuals, foundations and businesses. That leaves about $600,000 that Beck and others hope community members will help raise.

“It’s a big investment, but it’s worth every penny,” Beck said.

Longtime State College Food Bank volunteers Dave and Hollie Woodle pledged $100,000 in matching funds to the capital campaign. Dave also serves as a volunteer project manager for the construction project, which is expected to be completed in March.

“Everyone deserves shelter and food,” he said. “The food bank is very well organized and has done an excellent job of providing that support where it’s needed.”

By raising the $600,000 through the capital campaign, the food bank won’t have to take on a mortgage and therefore won’t have to accumulate debt. The money saved will be used to feed more people, Woodle said.

The goal, Beck said, is to increase the food bank’s supply of food and distribute the food back through the county. She said State College Food Bank will use its increased food supply to “support the other pantries and feeding programs throughout the county.”

This Thanksgiving, the State College Food Bank partnered with food pantries throughout Centre County to provide turkeys, a tradition that’s been taking place for several years. For the upcoming holidays, the food bank is offering a choice of turkey or ham, along with other food items. The State College Educational Support Personnel Association makes “cookie bags” that include items such as cookie mix, icing, sprinkles and cookie cutters for the food bank to distribute every year, Beck said.

The new facility has double the space of the current building and will have two main components: an open pantry set up “like a free grocery store” and a warehouse to process donations, Beck said.

The addition of a loading dock means the food bank will be able to receive tractor-trailers for the first time. That way, the food bank can cut down on costs by buying food in bulk at cheaper prices. The increased space in the new facility is also expected to allow the food bank to host a wider variety of items in its pantry.

Recently, Beck said those at the food bank have seen the need for a wider variety of “culturally responsive foods” — like halal and kosher meals — that can serve the increasing number of people arriving in State College from different countries and communities.

“It’s not helpful for us to give people food they’re not going to eat,” she said.

The food bank also has “big dreams” of developing a system for delivering personalized grocery orders, offering cooking demonstrations and expanding its No-Cost Produce Markets — which Beck called “trick or treating for produce.” But she said it all depends on need.

“If we get in this building and those aren’t actually what people need, we will redirect course,” Beck said.

Outside of three full-time and two part-time employees, State College Food Bank is staffed entirely by volunteers. The food bank will add a fourth full-time employee with the move to the new facility, as part of the capital campaign.

“We could not do what we do without our volunteers,” Beck said. “It’s a commitment, (but) a wonderful commitment.”

Along with “education and food nutrition,” Beck said the food bank’s long-term goal is to ensure “no one’s hungry in Centre County.” The new facility, which is seen as a long-term solution for an organization that originally started as a small group of community members looking to provide food out of the St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church’s basement, is the next step in that reality, Beck said.

For more information about donating to the State College Food Bank and the capital campaign, visit www.scfoodbank.org or follow State College Food Bank on Instagram or Facebook. Anyone interested in volunteering can apply for weekly shifts on the food bank’s website.

This story was originally published December 14, 2023 at 9:00 AM.