Helping Harvest

We are inviting donations of support during this difficult time

A Growing Need

Helping Harvest is the only Feeding America food bank in Berks and Schuylkill counties, providing food for local food pantries.

The largest program that supports people facing food insecurity in Berks and Schuylkill counties, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, has been suspended until the federal government shutdown is resolved. 

This suspension will impact over 88,000 children, seniors and families in our community, and will result in a loss of $16.5 million in SNAP payments each month—nearly the value of the amount of food that Helping Harvest distributes in an entire year. This will be a very substantial challenge for neighbors experiencing food insecurity.

In addition, the federal funding budget cuts included cutting about $3 million of federal support of Helping Harvest, which is about 15% reduction in the approximate $20 million support that Helping Harvest provides for food banks in our two counties each year. With the decrease in federal support, Helping Harvest is a much greater need of local support to help feed our local community.

Please consider making a financial donation so that Helping Harvest can provide more food for our neighbors during what will likely be the greatest crisis in food insecurity since the COVID pandemic.

How to Help

You can give today securely online at this Helping Harvest link. You can also make a check payable to “First UCC of Hamburg” and write “Helping Harvest” on the memo line, or make a cash donation on Sunday morning marked “Helping Harvest.”

More Information

For more information, please contact the church office.

CROP Walk

Helping Harvest is also the agency that supports our local CROP Hunger Walk. Thank you to all who gave support in October for the CROP Walk, and thank you to all who walked to help raise funds to fight hunger and to raise awareness of the hunger needs within our local community and worldwide.