To address the rising risk of food insecurity impacting Central Pennsylvanians, WellSpan Health is today announcing a planned contribution to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank that will equate to 1 million meals in this time of need. WellSpan will step up to meet the growing need with a $275,000 contribution that will support local food banks and pantries as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding is set to run out in Central Pennsylvania related to the ongoing federal government shutdown. SNAP provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford the nutritious food essential to health and well-being. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, nearly 2 million Pennsylvanians receive SNAP benefits.
“As the region’s leading non-profit health system, we’re committed to the health of the communities we serve, ensuring food is on the table for those in need across Central Pennsylvania,” said Roxanna Gapstur, Ph.D., R.N., president and CEO of WellSpan. “Our mission and our responsibility as a non-profit health system guides this important effort because lifelong wellness starts with the most basic of necessities.”
“The shutdown has created anxiety for neighbors we serve and our partner food pantries,” said Central Pennsylvania Food Bank CEO Shila Ulrich. “We know that many, many more people are going to need our help. We talk to neighbors on SNAP who rely on us for necessities to just get through that final week at the end of the month. If they don’t have SNAP benefits, they will need their local food pantry even more. WellSpan’s gift is not only incredibly generous but could not come at a more crucial time.”
This effort builds on WellSpan’s investment of more than $1.5 million to improve food insecurity in 2024, as was reported in WellSpan’s Community Impact Report earlier this year. WellSpan screened nearly 400,000 patients for food, housing and transportation insecurity in 2024 and connected those in need with services to cultivate healthy communities.
The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank serves 27 counties including the entirety of the WellSpan footprint in Pennsylvania and reaches 253,000 people monthly by partnering with more than 1,000 charitable organizations in the community. The food bank ensures food is collected, purchased, distributed and appropriately managed by food banks and pantries across the region.
For more information about how WellSpan is committed to the health and vitality of the communities it serves, working closely with partners to meet such needs, visit https://WellSpan.org/about/Wellspan-in-the-community.
For more information about the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, visit www.centralpafoodbank.org.
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