POTTSVILLE, Pa. — What's for dinner? It's a question many families in Schuylkill County are struggling to answer. In the last few months, more of them have been reaching out for help.
"The phones are extremely busy, to be honest," said Dave Young, executive director of Schuylkill Community Action.
Schuylkill Community Action is the non-profit in charge of operations for 19 food banks in the county.
Young said the need is just as significant as it was in 2020, thanks in part to rising food costs.
"I think it's a factor," he said. "I think when people can't afford food in an already restricted economy, they're going to look to different resources that may be available in the community, and the food pantry is just one of those resources."
Young said drive-thru pantries have been popular.
Residents recently emptied out the Billie Payne Community Center during a food giveaway in Pottsville.
A volunteer said most of the roundhouse was filled with pallets of food on Tuesday. The line on Laurel Boulevard stretched for blocks, and those pallets were soon gone.
Now, Schuylkill Community Action is looking ahead to its busiest season, with the holidays right around the corner.
"We always look to increase food that we're able to help with this time of year," Young said. "We'll look to get the turkeys, holiday hams during the Christmas season, whatever we can to help make those holidays a little brighter for our local residents here."
According to Young, the organization's supply has been steady, but the food goes fast.
The group is always looking for donations and more help getting the food out.
"We have a reliable network of volunteers, but we could always use people to help distribute the food, pack the food, get the food into people's cars," he said.
You can visit the Schuylkill Community Action website for information on how to can get involved.
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