NAZARETH, Pa. — The fire alarm test inside Second Harvest Food Bank screamed out the deafening irony.
Because of deep federal cuts to food aid programs and delayed state funding from a budget impasse, the challenges facing programs such as Second Harvest are as urgent as a five-alarm blaze.
An unscheduled fire alarm test blared inside the food bank’s 70,000-square-foot warehouse Tuesday morning.
Undeterred, volunteers from The Giant Company from the Lehigh Valley packed boxes of non-perishable food ticketed for 200 pantries and soup kitchens throughout the region.
Surrounding them were so many empty shelves screaming out their own message of urgency.
It's estimated one in eight Pennsylvanians is food insecure.
Food for thought.
“The support we’re receiving from Giant and our external community partners is huge now."Second Harvest Community Services Manager Nicole Folino
Later Tuesday, Second Harvest would get an unexpected $35,000 check from The Giant Company on Hunger Action Day to help plug the funding shortfall.
“The support we’re receiving from Giant and our external community partners is huge now,” Second Harvest Community Services Manager Nicole Folino said.
“We’re hoping our friends in Harrisburg get back into town and get the budget passed so we can start refilling our shelves.
"Until then, we are so grateful for the Giant corporation bringing us this donation, as well as donating their time to sort food and get it out to the pantries.”
Giant benefit to food banks
Hunger Action Day is the Feeding America nationwide network of food banks' awareness campaign designed to mobilize the public to act on the issue of hunger.
The Giant Company has several donations and volunteer activities planned for across the communities it serves to put a focus on eliminating hunger in the local communities it serves.
"We are so grateful for the Giant Corporation for bringing us this donation, as well as donating their time to sort food and get it out to the pantries.”Nicole Folino, Second Harvest Food Bank
Giant stores partner with Second Harvest through various initiatives, including customer donations during the Bag Hunger Campaign, when part of proceeds from in-store purchases benefits the food bank.
Giant also makes direct food donations, such as 3,000 hams in April, and its employees volunteer their time to support the food bank's mission to eliminate food insecurity in the community.
“It's incredibly important that businesses and communities are banding together to be able to support the local food banks,” Giant Community Relations and Charitable Giving Specialist Kayla Tiley said.
“With the numbers in food insecurities continuing to rise, being able to give back to the community with donations is incredibly important to help support and sustain terrific programs like Second Harvest.”
Shrinking supply, growing need
Each year, Second Harvest gets $9.5 million dollars from Pennsylvania’s State Food Purchase Program.
However, because state legislators failed to adopt a budget by the June 30 deadline, food banks can't buy food through the program until a budget is in place.
Second Harvest has said it soon may lose additional federal funds provided through community block grants and other food aid programs.
In all, the nonprofit said it took in nearly 3 million pounds less food in the 2024-25 fiscal year compared with the year before.
Meanwhile, demand for food aid has only grown.
“Giant is a proud partner of ours, and as well as through Feeding America,” Second Harvest Associate Executive Director Sarah Wassel said. “Honestly, Giant showing up today with that check was a big surprise because we received funding from them through Feeding America two months ago.
"We’re so grateful to their support.”
