The YMCA and Harrisburg Area Food Pantry Announce New Collaboration

The Harrisburg Area YMCA’s Camp Curtin Branch will welcome the Harrisburg Area Food Pantry (HAFP) to operate out of their location at 2135 North 6th Street beginning on February 5th, 2024. This new collaboration will allow the HAFP to better serve our neighbors in a convenient and easily accessible location while supporting the YMCA’s mission to promote healthy living and social responsibility.

The mission of the HAFP is to support those in the greater Harrisburg area experiencing food insecurity, primarily through the provision of emergency food assistance. Formerly known as The Ecumenical Food Pantry, it began in response to the devastating impact of Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972. It has been operating continuously for over 51 years and currently serves over 3,400 clients per month from Messiah Lutheran Church at 901 N. 6th Street. The HAFP is one of the largest food pantries in Dauphin County in terms of volume of people served and is one of the few that provides access to emergency food assistance at least five days per week. Clients may receive an emergency supply of food approximately every 30 days, and no vouchers or appointments are necessary. With the all-volunteer Board of Directors and other volunteers, the team at the HAFP is led by Executive Director Deidre Lenker.

“The Board, volunteers and I are very excited to create a welcoming space for anyone needing food assistance,” said Lenker. “We are grateful to the YMCA for providing this opportunity. We thank our many community supporters including a variety of community groups, faith-based organizations, foundations, and individuals who have supported us through donations and volunteering over the years. With your support we can continue to meet this most basic human need.”

The move to the Camp Curtin YMCA will provide the HAFP with the ability to serve the community in new ways, with access to parking, increased accessibility, and a built-in collaboration with the YMCA.

The Camp Curtin YMCA has been on a journey to improve not just the facility at the YMCA, but the community that it supports. U.S. Census data indicates that the poverty rate among Harrisburg City residents is 26.5%, representing 13,285 individuals. Dauphin County has a food insecurity rate of 11.4% which represents 31,330 individuals according to data provided by Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. The YMCA and HAFP collaboration will help to bring food support to the Uptown community in a facility that can accommodate new growth and impact.

“As an organization committed to healthy living, the YMCA’s collaboration with the Harrisburg Area Food Pantry allows our organizations to assist our community in providing nutrition and food security,” said Mr. Richard Utley, Chair of the Camp Curtin YMCA’s Board of Managers. “We’re very excited to welcome the Harrisburg Area Food Pantry to our neighborhood.”

To celebrate the opening of the new Harrisburg Area Food Pantry location at the Camp Curtin YMCA, the organizations will host a ribbon-cutting event on February 6, 2024, at 1PM.