Central Pennsylvania Food Bank Receives Grant to Help Veterans and Military Families

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – Central Pennsylvania Food Bank received a $ 110,000 grant that helps feed many veterans and their families.

The help came from its national affiliate, Feeding America, and an anonymous donor. The money will help Midstate veterans and military families put food on their tables.

Central Pennsylvania Food Bank workers are busy preparing and wrapping various boxes of food and other items for families in need.

The dollar increase will go to the food bank’s MilitaryShare program, which is designed to help veterans, members of the military, and their families.

“MilitaryShare works because the formula is simple: Veterans help veterans,” said Joe Arthur, president, and CEO of Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.

Arthur says the food bank partners with various distribution sites in 27 counties like VFW, armories and the Palestinian Authority National Guard to reach out to military families in need.

“In fact, we are working on new sites to grow that because we know we have more veterans in need,” Arthur said.

Arthur says many veterans are hesitant to ask for help. However, they are more likely to connect with other veterans.

“These are people, who are veterans, some of them on active duty, military, so they know how to convince our veterans to come when they really need help and that is something that is not easy to do, there is a trust factor. there and that really works and we provide the food for the show, ”said Arthur.

The food bank says they serve about 2,000 military households in Midstate and it can be expensive to distribute food, but this grant money can help over the holidays and beyond.