Did you eat today? How many times? What was included in your meal? Did you choose the food? For many, too many, in the Bradford area, meals are not a guaranteed part of their day, food items are not chosen, and nutrition is not part of the thought process.
On Thursday, the board and staff of Destinations Bradford, with the help from Second Harvest Food Bank, cut the ribbon on their new food pantry where eligible community members are encouraged to shop the shelves of nutritional foods for themselves and get the items they need to make healthy meals.
Following the ribbon cutting, David Godoy, nutritional coordinator from Second Harvest, prepared a recipe while residents shopped.
“We want to turn nutrition theory into practice and show people how to cook the foods they are selecting, explain why the meals are healthy and answer questions,” Godoy stated.
He said that having people come in and shop for what they need or want instills a sense of pride and ownership, it increases their self-esteem, and gives them more dignity than simply handing them a bag or box of food.
On average, Destinations Bradford assists 232 people per month with various needs: food, hygiene items, gas cards to travel to out-of-town medical appointments, and help securing their vital records. There has been a near 25% increase in recent months for assistance with securing food in the Bradford area, and the non-profit organization foresees the anticipated need rising as the temperatures fall.
Board member Vicky Etter said, “We can give our neighbors food but do they have what they need to cook it — a can opener, say? Do they know how to cook? Can they make it last when they have been hungry for so long? And, nutrition is a whole other problem altogether.”
She added that if the person is worried about what they are going to eat and when, they are not worried about nutrition.
“But we can show them and explain how this box of macaroni and cheese can be made into a casserole with all the food groups, making it more nutritious and filling than just the mac and cheese itself,” said Etter.
To be eligible for the program, participants must have a Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture form on file, The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) Self Declaration of Need. The form asks the filer to circle the line based on their household size and annual/monthly/weekly income level, which is based on 185% of the poverty level. For example: a household of four is eligible with an income of $55,500 per year, $4,625 per month, and $1,067 per week.
Executive Director Mark Lonzi said, “The income limits are higher than most people think.” He suggested that if a family is in need to stop in and speak with staff.
Another program, Senior Boxes, provides monthly food to those older than 60 years of age who meet income eligibility requirements of the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). See operations coordinator, Jen Angel, for more information about this program.
When visiting the website for Destinations Bradford, the first words on the page read, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,” Matthew 25:35.
Destinations Bradford is located at 1 Main St. and can be reached by calling (814) 331-4551 or by email at [email protected]
The organization is currently collecting winter weather outerwear throughout the downtown area. Free distribution will be Nov. 18 at St. Bernard’s gym on Festival Way.