By DANIELLA LANGIANESE Jun 28, 2023
Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC) and the Church of the Ascension coordinated a joint venture to help combat local food insecurity. A group of over 20 volunteers from both BRMC and the church collaborated to organize a food distribution in the church parking lot on June 21.
The volunteers took time to assist in the food distribution that aided in providing boxes of food for more than 106 households which fed 200 individuals — 114 adults, 43 children and 43 seniors.
“This is another reason why our hospital and our team are so important to the Bradford area,” said Stacy Williams, executive director, Bradford Hospital Foundation. “We’re not only caring for the people in this region inside the four walls of the hospital. We’re also getting out into the community and providing services that are improving the overall health of our family, friends and neighbors.”
The food drives have been coordinated at the Church of the Ascension, in partnership with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania for the last 12 years, on the third Wednesday of every month. Volunteers from both organizations helped with distributing the food, registering families, and delivering the boxes of food to vehicles and nearby apartment complexes. Registration can be made by calling the Church of the Ascension at (814) 368-8915 between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on July 10 and July 11 for the next flood distribution at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, July 19.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania is a member of Feeding America, a network of food banks and food distribution programs in the U.S. This membership allows Second Harvest to cooperate with other member food banks, to receive food from national corporate food donors, and benefit from national publicity and mutual support. Second Harvest serves 11 counties in northwest Pennsylvania, including McKean.
In the year 2022, the BRMC Meals on Wheels program prepared and delivered 30,588 meals throughout McKean County with 80% of these meals being free or discounted. The program saw a 15% increase from 2021 in the numbers of meals prepared and delivered.
BRMC assumed operations of the Meals on Wheels program in 2017 and it has continued to be a vital program that continues to combat hunger in McKean County. The mission is to enhance the lives of older adults, persons with disabilities and others who are homebound by providing nutritious meals, personal contact, and related services to qualifying participants throughout McKean County. Operation of the meals on wheels program is coordinated five days per week, with weekend meals provided upon request. Meals are delivered directly to participants’ homes by volunteers.
Participants can be referred to the program through a healthcare provider, family member or self-referral. For more information about the program or to become a volunteer, call (814) 362-8288.