YEAR IN REVIEW 2024
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FROM OUR DIRECTORS
DearFriends,
Yoursupportin2024hasmeantsomuchtous. Withoutyour support-yourcontributionsoffood,financialsupportandtime-we couldnothavemoved17.6millionpoundsoffoodoutintothe communitytofeedmorethan1.1millionpeople. Yourcontributions madethispossible!
Thisyearwehavefacedgreatchallenges.Thehighcostoffoodis impactingnotonlyindividualhouseholdsandexacerbatingfood insecurity,butitisalsoimpactingtheFoodBank’sabilitytomeetthe foodneedsofourcommunity.Wehavelonghadtheapproachof usingfoodpurchasetofillinthegapsofwhatfoodwecanaccessvia donatedandgovernmentcommoditychannels In2024wespent moredollarsonfood,butacquiredlessfoodwiththosefundsthanin 2023.
Wearefightinganuphillbattle–morepeoplearefoodinsecureand foodcostsmore. Thisiswhyyoursupportissocritical.
WithGratitude,
&
Jennifer Warabak Executive Director Food Bank Director
In 2024, more than 21,000 people received food assistance from our network of partners each week.
Mary Ellen Spellman
We maintained our commitment to healthy food options in 2024 More than 77% of the 176 million pounds of food provided, was healthy food choices and 27% was fresh produce
OUR FOOD BANK DEPENDS ON YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY
Our food banking model is grounded in efficiency and equity. By sourcing a wide variety of food items and providing it to our vast network of partners we are able to offer equitable access to food throughout the entire region. We leverage food donations and commodity foods with wholesale purchased foods, along with the infrastructure of our 65,000 square foot facility and fleet of trucks to meet the needs of our community.
HOW WE WORK
The Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank serves four counties in northeast PA: Lackawanna, Luzerne, Susquehanna and Wyoming The mission of the CEO/Weinberg Food Bank is to reduce hunger and promote healthy nutrition among poor and vulnerable people, especially children and the elderly.
The Food Bank collects food from the entire food system - from growers to retailers We coordinate and support a network of partners to move the food from warehouse to table - quickly and efficiently The network relies heavily on volunteers, small non-profit organizations and faith-based community services. The Weinberg Food Bank is committed to constant growth and developing innovative solutions to hunger.
Collect Food
Food is sourced locally, regionally and nationally. Foods may be donated, government commodities, or purchased at wholesale prices We prioritize healthy food and fresh produce in particular
Warehouse & Deliver
Food is received at our distribution center near Pittston. Free delivery is offered to all of our partner agencies. Some receive justin-time deliveries on the day of food give-aways and others get deliveries to re-stock their on-site inventory.
Work with Partners
The Food Bank has more than 300 partners including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and meal programs hosted by community and faith-based organizations, schools, childcare and youth programs, senior programs and housing, libraries, and local municipalities We provide training and technical assistance to all of our partners.
Food to Families
Our partners provide food in the form of either groceries or prepared meals to families and individuals. Some partners offer conventient drive-through food pick up and in others, families can shop and select the food items they prefer.
THE YEAR IN REVIEW
In 2024, more than 21,000 people received food assistance from our network of partners each week - this is up from 17,600 people served per week in 2023.
SOURCES OF FOOD:
Souces of food fall into one of three categories - donated food from all levels of the food system, government commodity food, and wholesale purchased food.
Commodity 38.8%
Donated 438%
LuzerneSusquehanna Wyoming
Purchased 175%
17.6 1.1
Pounds of food
769,978 People served Prepared meals million million
17,687,746 pounds of food was provided to our network of partners in 2024. Our partners in turn, provided groceries or meals to their
neighbors who struggle to put food on the table.
Over the past 12 months, take home groceries were provided for 1,113,315 people. This total includes repeat visits to food pantries.
We experienced a 23% increase in visits over 2023.
Our partners provided over 3/4 of a million prepared meals in 2024.
Meal partners include soup kitchens, childcare and youth programs, after school snacks and free community meals.
MORE THAN FOOD
Training & Technical Assistance Equipment
Annual conferences, monthly meetings, e-newsletters, online and on-site training cover topics including food safety training, civil rights, respect & dignity, operational best practices like choice food pantries, food rescue and more are all part of the work we do.
In 2024, 281 partner representatives completed safe food handling training and 17 volunteers completed Food Ambassador training that included cultural competency, food safety and nutrition components.
Healthy food is often perishable Without proper storage, our network cannot effectively distribute healthy food
This year alone, we granted 67 cold storage units to 49 partners.
Education
Nutrition education is a core component of our work We want food recipients to know how to prepare and enjoy the food provided to them.
In 2024, we provided nutrition education to 10,927 unique individuals, including 8,500 children.
Year in Reviw
TRENDS IN FOOD INSECURITY
Itisestimated,byFeedingAmericathatthecurrentrateofFoodInsecurityinourregion increasedby13%over2019foratotalestimatedpopulationof83,300foodinsecureindividuals
Localdatashowsthenumberofvisitstoourpartnerfoodpantrieshavemorethandoubled (from214,200visitsin2019to470,293visitsin2024),yettheavailablefoodhasonlyincreasedby roughly40%(from125millionpoundsto176millionpounds)
PANTRY VISITS
119% increase in annual visits to partner food pantries since 2019
FOOD COSTS
The cost of food continues to climb; this drives increased demand for food assistance & results in food shortages. Locally statewide and f
2024 Year in Review
HOW YOU CAN HELP
The Food Bank works because of the collaborative spirit of partners and the broad community support it receives The three major areas of need and opportunity are volunteerism, financial support, and food donations.
Donate
4,998 volunteers gave 14,955 volunteer hours in 2024!
Without our donors - large and small, public and private, we could not provide food to so many. Donate today: www.ceopeoplehelpingpeople.org /donate Voluteer
Find out how to get involved by visiting: wwwceopeoplehelpingpeopleorg /volunteers
Food Rescue
Is there a food business near you? Do you know an owner or operator of a local food business? Help us connect with local food donors. For more information visit: www.ceopeoplehelpingpeople.org/fooddonor
OUR TEAM
Mary Ellen Spellman, Food Bank Director
Matthew Krupa, Director of Operations
Amanda Brueckler, Agency Distribution Manager
Debra Taylor, Corporate and Community Relations
Kyle Barthold, Data Manager
Kim Grzesek, Food Bank Partnership Manager
Dan Yaglowski, Warehouse Manager
Tony Teberio, Receiving Manager
Bill Golightly and Jenn Morgan, Senior Food Box Program
Drivers & Warehouse Workers:
Brian Carroll, Henry Caruthers, Lou Dominick, Dale McCloe, Ryan O’Malley, Jeff Vose, Rich Yanchus
Nutrition Educators:
Ingrid Balsamo, Mary Kay D'Elia, Chandra Galliford, Kim McLendon, Kathy Lockman, Mary Parrs, Margaret Raniero, Rachel Rovinski, Joan Saxon, Rolly Smith
Rod Blaine, Director of Administration & Finance
Gretchen Hunt, Director of Resource Development
