Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Cupboards get food to needy
WEST CHESTER » Food cupboards in Chester County remain open, but are using new methods to get food to the people who need it.
Fiona Allison, a volunteer and board secretary at the West Chester Area Food Cupboard, said a drive-through method of food distribution is now in place with minimal personal contact.
“Clients will not enter the building but will drive past and be handed bags of groceries, including meats, dairy, fresh produce as well as canned and packaged food items,” she said.
At the Kennett Area Food Cupboard, Executive Director Leah Reynolds said the food distribution schedule will be modified beginning next week. It’s being done, she said, partly because of the limited number of volunteers.
A small workforce will distribute food at the Kennett Area Food
Cupboard Fridays with extended hours, starting April 3 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“We are currently ordering and purchasing all of the meat, dairy and perishables that normally are donated from local stores,” Reynolds said. “But we are facing limited supplies. I am not getting any donations as stores have nothing to give. And I can’t accept donations from anyone in the community because we have no way to manage that.”
In West Chester, new clients must bring an up-todate proof of residency like a PECO bill or lease and tell a volunteer what their total household income is, and proof of income is not required.
“We remain committed to our clients and grateful to our donors, because no one should go hungry,” Allison said.
Reynolds said the coronavirus crisis is bringing out the best in people. Last week she said she and a volunteer were at a grocery store standing in line with a cart full of groceries, wearing KACS shirts, when a couple approached them offering to pay for all of the food in the cart.
“People in this community are really amazing,” Reynolds said.
Over the weekend, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced their approval of the Pennsylvania
Department of Agriculture’s (PDA) request to operate a Disaster Household Distribution program in each of the Commonwealth’s 67 counties. This program will allow food banks to provide vital food assistance to all Pennsylvanians who are experiencing significant economic challenges due to the spread of
COVID-19 by reducing administrative hurdles they would otherwise face.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has created and worsened many health and economic challenges for Pennsylvania families, including food insecurity,” said Senator Casey.
USDA’s approval of the request will allow PDA and its partners to more efficiently distribute foods to those most affected by the public health crisis.
The best way to donate to either the West Chester Food Cupboard or the Kennett Area Community Food Cupboard is to give a monetary donation through their websites, at www.kacsonline.net or westchesterfoodcupboard.org.