HONESDALE — For the 32nd year, WNEP TV’s Feed A Friend program kicked off across Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania.
The line is long and the story is the same: many of our neighbors are hungry.
Once a month, hundreds shuffle into the Wayne County food pantry in Honesdale just to pick up the items they need to feed their families and stretch their dollars.
Debbie McLaud of Honesdale is just one of nearly 300 who will receive help this day.
“It means having food to supplement what I don’t get in food stamps and it helps my husband and me out a lot.”
And it takes a dependable crew each month to dole out the staples that keep food on people’s shelves.
That’s why the morning crew teamed up with the volunteers at this pantry to lend a hand.
With our help, each family receives meat, bread, assorted canned goods, most of it donated by people like you and WNEP-TV’s Feed A Friend.
Kathleen Chicosky runs Wayne County’s pantry. She knows the success of the program depends on your generosity.
“As you saw by the line, it’s definitely filling a need helping people supplement their budget, helping them save money on food, maybe they can pay some bills, get some heat.”
It’s not just Wayne County. WNEP-TV’s Feed A Friend fills pantries in 17 counties in our area from Towanda to Mountain Top, from Williamsport to Pottsville.
For 32 years, people across the area have been seeing the familiar Feed A Friend donation bins. While the posters may change, one thing that’s stayed the same is the need.
“This means a lot because right now I’ve been out of work since June. I’m trying to get a job, living on my own, I don’t have any food,” said Patty Michko of Waymart.
Across the area, the people who run pantries like these say the want continues to grow.
“Kind of like our patrons, we live month to month. Like are shelves, as you can see are empty because we’re pretty much giving it all away each month,” Chicosky said.
If you’d like to donate to WNEP TV’s Feed A Friend, look for the bins in your local grocery store.
