WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — The food pantry shelves at the Salvation Army in Williamsport are empty. Supplies to feed central Pennsylvania families are running low.
"We do what we can. We tell them that they are welcome to take everything that we have, but if we don't have it, we can't hand it out," said Rose Confer, the social service coordinator at the Williamsport Salvation Army.
The organization feeds nearly 200 families a month. The Salvation Army gets food from the local food bank and donations, but with high demand across the region, it's struggling. Right now, there is only enough food to last just three weeks.
"Our food pantry has become a client-choice food pantry. So, we allow clients to come in and walk through to pick their own foods, but right now, we don't have a vast variety of what they can pick from," said Maj. Sheryl Hershey, the organization's corps officer in Williamsport.
Confer shared what type of foods the organization needs.
"Anything from cereal, soups, pasta of any kind, including hamburger helper. We are always looking for dairy and meat donations," said Confer.
With SNAP emergency allotments ending in March, the Salvation Army expects more families to require help.
"We are trying to prepare for that now by getting extra food in," Hershey said.
The Salvation Army is not just asking for food donations, it is asking for local organizations to step up and help with food drives. The YMCA in Williamsport has already pitched in.
"If you don't have time to go to the Salvation Army, you can always come here with your goods, and we will take them up to our Wellness Office and drop them off at the end of the month," said Nikki Feil of the YMCA.
Donations can also be dropped off directly at The Salvation Army offices on Market Street in Williamsport.
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