Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank distributed 12,483,834 pounds of food, valued at more than $22 million, during fiscal year 2026, marking a record year for the organization and a 21.8 percent increase over the prior fiscal year. The food bank serves Berks and Schuylkill Counties through a network of over 350 partner agencies.
The results reflect sustained demand for food assistance across the region, as well as continued growth in the programs Helping Harvest operates directly. Two of those programs saw notable expansion in FY2026: the Weekender Program and the School Pantry Program.
The Weekender Program, which provides bags of food to students to take home over weekends and school breaks, delivered 134,489 bags across 91 sites in Berks and Schuylkill Counties during FY2026, the most bags the program has delivered in a single school year, with a modest increase from the previous year.
The School Pantry Program grew from five schools to eight in FY2026, adding locations at middle and high schools in both counties. The pantry model is designed with older students in mind: rather than receiving a pre-packed bag, students can select food for their households themselves, providing greater choice and dignity. The program is not a replacement for the Weekender model but an evolution of it, one that better suits the growing needs of older students. Helping Harvest now operates school pantries at Wyomissing, Governor Mifflin, Conrad Weiser, and the Reading School District in Berks County, Minersville, Pottsville, Schuylkill Haven, and DHH Lengle in Schuylkill County.
Helping Harvest’s Community Kitchen also expanded its reach during FY2026, providing over 14,000 congregate meals to seven agency partners including Opportunity House, Safe Berks, and New Journey Community Outreach.
“The need for food assistance in our communities continues to grow, and so does our commitment to meeting that need in new ways,” said Jay Worrall, President of Helping Harvest. “Reaching older students through school pantries, bringing meals directly to community agencies: these are examples of how we continue to evolve our approach to make sure no one is left behind.”
Helping Harvest is currently in the first year of a new strategic plan that will guide the organization through 2030. The FY2026 numbers mark a significant milestone as that plan gets underway.