Giant, Geisinger, Central Susquehanna Opportunities unveil new mobile food pantry
Giant in partnership with Geisinger and Central Susquehanna Opportunities unveiled a new mobile food pantry ready to serve individuals and families facing food insecurity in the Central Susquehanna Valley.
First announced in the fall of 2023, Giant committed $597,000 to fund the mobile pantry, which will provide fresh produce, dairy, meat and shelf stable pantry items. The mobile pantry will visit various locations throughout the Central Susquehanna Valley monthly to serve those in need. In its first two distributions in late June, the mobile pantry helped 175 individuals. A schedule of when and where the mobile food pantry will be located can be found at CSO’s Facebook page or at www.csocares.org.
[Read more: Giant releases community impact report]
“Food insecurity impacts every neighborhood and can have serious implications for individuals and communities. That’s why we work with local hunger relief partners and support initiatives such as this new mobile food pantry to help eliminate hunger in the communities we serve,” said Nick Koch, head of wellbeing, at Giant. “This innovative solution brings fresh, healthy food directly to families that need it the most but may lack the transportation needs necessary to visit a traditional pantry.”
The mobile food pantry is an extension of Geisinger’s food-is-health strategy designed to help people with challenges accessing healthy food live well and manage diet-responsive conditions. This program offers assistance to individuals experiencing difficulty accessing food and requires some paperwork at the time of food distribution. Geisinger also will utilize the online Neighborly platform to connect community members in need with the mobile food pantry and CSO.
“We are pleased to be working with Central Susquehanna Opportunities and The Giant Company to expand our network of resources to support food as health,” said Alicia Trelease, program manager at Geisinger. “This is a great opportunity to connect healthcare with community-based organizations, but also allow individuals access to impactful programs close to home. CSO’s commitment to healthy food access, efficient operations and work within the community make them ideal for this partnership.”
CSO, a community action agency for Columbia, Montour and Northumberland counties, will staff the mobile pantry with a community health worker, driver and volunteers, and share resources available for community referrals, housing and utility assistance. The trailer is equipped with refrigeration, freezer and storage providing a wide array of items for those in need. The mobile pantry is a "choice-style” model, meaning individuals walk through the trailer and can select the food. They also will have a supply of hygiene products available to distribute.
[Read more: Giant to open store in Jenkintown, Pa.]
"CSO's mission is to reduce the root causes of poverty in local communities by providing comprehensive services to families that address all domains of the social determinants of health. Food insecurity and access to healthy foods is a major need in our region,” said Megan Bair, CEO of Central Susquehanna Opportunities. “Our partnership with Geisinger and The Giant Company will allow us to ensure that more families in the region have access to nutritious food. We are appreciative of this partnership and grateful to have the opportunity to serve our communities in this way.”