The center is turning to the local community to help support its Fresh for All food program.
The Keystone Opportunity Center has announced the loss of 2,000 pounds of produce intended for weekly distribution to local families.
Through a partnership with Philabundance, the nonprofit social services organization has been providing 5,500 pounds of fresh produce to roughly 270 families a week through its Fresh for All program. However, in order to meet the rising demand of fresh produce across Philabundance’s nine-county service area, the food bank has slashed the amount of produce delivered to Keystone to 3,500 pounds a week, said a Keystone press release.
“This will affect our community greatly,” said Brandon Trombetta, executive director of Keystone. “People travel from miles away to make it to Fresh for All, as it is open to anyone experiencing food insecurity. Produce prices have gone up significantly, and Fresh for All is a fantastic resource to those in need of 15-20 pounds of fresh produce every week.”
The change comes at an inopportune time for Keystone, which is contending with surging levels of need amidst declining donations. Last year, the Fresh for All program served 44 percent more cars than the previous year. Additionally, the number of people seeking food assistance has increased by 30 percent, while donations have declined by 50 percent, said the release.
“The need is going up everywhere,” said Trombetta. “We are very understanding of this change and ultimately not surprised. Philabundance is doing what they can to spread their resources to as many people as they can.”
In order to navigate the shortage, Keystone is reducing the amount of families it serves from between 260-270 to 200.
“This means that between 60-70 families are no longer able to receive this resource and must seek out alternative places to receive produce,” said Trombetta. “We will most likely experience a large decline in the number of people who live farther away coming to the site.”
“This is a very difficult change for us to navigate, as we have to limit the number of families we support, yet we want to make sure we continue to reach those who need the help,” added Clarice Foster, Keystone’s Food Pantry manager. “The only way we can do that is to rely on and partner with our communities to reach those last 50 to 100 families and make sure no one goes hungry.”
Keystone is asking the community to pitch in through produce drives, donations and volunteer efforts, including through Garden of Health, one of Keystone’s largest donors that provides 500-700 pounds of food each week.
“Garden of Health is always looking for volunteers that can help with farming and growing produce, which they then bring over to sites like Fresh for All,” said Trombetta. “Keystone Opportunity Center is also accepting new volunteers that can help at the food pantry or at the Fresh for All site as we navigate this difficult change. Donations can also be made on our website.”
For more information, contact Foster at 215-723-5430 or at [email protected]. Fresh produce and non-perishable food items can also be dropped off at the Keystone Opportunity Center, 104 N. Main Street, Souderton, PA 18964. Additional information can be found on the organization’s website at www.keystoneopportunity.org.
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