BLOOMSBURG, COLUMBIA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A community action agency in Columbia County is celebrating its one-year fight against food insecurity with its mobile food pantry.
“For families, when it comes to something with their income that they need to cut, food is always that one thing,” said Sandy Winhofer, self-sufficiency supervisor at Central Susquehanna Opportunities.
But a new pantry on wheels is hitting the streets to fight back.
Shelves are lined with pantry staples inside the Central Susquehanna Opportunities’ mobile food pantry, which transforms an ordinary truck into a lifeline for local families.
CSO’s CEO, Megan Bair, tells 28/22 News that in its first year, they’ve helped more than 5,200 individuals across Columbia, Montour, and Northumberland counties, distributing nearly 74,000 pounds of food.
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“We’re currently in four communities. Berwick, Coal Township, Danville, and Watsontown, and each of those communities, we have partners that have stepped up to allow us to use their space to offer the service,” said Bair.
The community action agency's mission is to help people from all walks of life thrive and be self-sufficient, even working with local farms to get fresh produce.
“Anything from cucumbers to brussels sprouts, peppers, broccoli,” explained Winhoffer.
“We also have someone here who will talk to the people coming through to teach them how to use the vegetable if it’s not something they’re familiar with, or just to give them an idea of a different recipe,” shared Stacie Snyder, self-sufficiency administrator at Central Susquehanna Opportunities.
Expanding its resources, CSO is welcoming a mini mobile food pantry, a way to reach new places they wouldn’t be able to bring the large truck. It’s projected to serve around thirty families.
Bringing smiles and making healthy meals more accessible, one stop at a time.
“I was at a distribution the other week and there was a little boy who was so excited because his favorite cereal was on the truck and he said, ‘I didn’t know that you could get this at food pantries!’” shared Bair.
CSO’s mini mobile food pantry ribbon cutting is Thursday on West Sixth Street in Bloomsburg at 3 p.m.
In addition to food resources, CSO also serves nine counties for workforce development. For more information, visit CSO Cares.
