September Is Hunger Action Month in Centre County

BELLEFONTE — September has been declared Hunger Action Month in Centre County, following the approval of the proclamation during the Board of Commissioners meeting on Aug. 29.

According to Feeding Pennsylvania, one in 11 adults and one in eight children in Pennsylvania are food insecure. Throughout September, the public is encouraged to contribute, participate, educate and advocate.

“That’s the time we, along with Feeding America partners, joined with food banks to raise awareness of anti-hunger and raise awareness about the issue of hunger in our communities as well as to raise our collective voices to advocate, educate and work together to end hunger and food insecurity,” said Tracy Hass-Ungard, agency services manager at the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.

The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank serves 27 counties, spanning from the New York border to the Maryland border.

“I’ve been with the food bank for about eight months and in that time, we have been speeding quickly toward the same levels as we did at the height of the pandemic,” Hass-Ungard explained

“As of a month ago, we were about 3% below the height of the pandemic distributions. As of now, we are even with the same distributions.”

According to Hass-Ungard, changes to SNAP benefits and the rollback of emergency provisions have led local food banks to serve a greater number of individuals, making Hunger Action Month even more pivotal.

Inflation has also contributed to the increased demand for resources from local food pantries.

“The cost of food in general has gone up so much. You look at the cost of fuel alone has doubled in the last three years. When you look at that number and figure out that the production of food relies on fertilizer and movement of the goods to and from the farms, I think it’s a bigger issue than just SNAP,” Commissioner Steven Dershem remarked. “I think folks are going to be struggling for a long time as we have inflation in the double-digit range.”

The State College Food Bank has also witnessed a surge in community needs.

“We ourselves have seen an over 40% increase since 2022 of the individuals we are serving,” said Allayn Beck, executive director of the State College Food Bank. Beck attributed this rise in demand to changes in the SNAP program, as well as larger families seeking assistance.

The State College Food Bank extends its services not only to the State College area but also to all of Centre County, supporting food pantries throughout the county and anti-hunger feeding initiatives.

Beck highlighted that while financial and food donations are crucial, there are numerous ways for community members to engage during Hunger Action Month.

“They can volunteer at their local food pantry. There are multiple pantries within the county, all of which require assistance. They can also help advocate for those in need and spread the word that those programs are available to those who need assistance,” she said.

Advocacy is a step that anyone can take, according to Hass-Ungard. “There is no cost to that at all, so speak to your elected officials. It can be a phone call, it can be a letter, it can be an email letting them know that our communities are struggling and that we want to see those changes,” she urged.

The proclamation to make September Hunger Action Month in Centre County was approved unanimously by the BOC.