POTTSVILLE, Pa. — Volunteers passed out fresh produce, meat, and dairy products at this month's Helping Harvest Mobile Market in Pottsville.
The non-profit distributed some 11 million pounds of food in 2020, and this year, it's on pace to exceed that mark. On Monday, the market opened an hour early to help meet the demand.
“The need has most definitely increased. We see it with COVID. We don’t anticipate that dropping,” said Melissa Beltran Del Rio, Helping Harvest's program and outreach coordinator.
Jean Lord and her husband stopped by the market for the second time.
The COVID-19 pandemic combined with a few recent surgeries brought financial stress to the family.
“Everything is going really tight, but you could say it makes you feel a lot better,” said Lord of Pottsville.
Minersville resident Mary Angle says she and her husband are on disability, and right now, grocery shopping is even more difficult than normal.
“I’m afraid to go out sometimes—limited access to the stores and going out. With my mother-in-law, it’s the same thing. She’s kind of house-bound. This helps us both out,” said Angle.
For Thomas Cook, it was a difficult diagnosis that brought him here.
“I don’t work anymore for like, the last two years since I was diagnosed with cancer. It helps out,” said Cook of Schuylkill Haven.
Each family receives 50 to 80 pounds of food, and it includes all the essentials.
“They really hook you up. Vegetables, fruit, apples, and stuff,” said Cook.
“Gives you a little bit of everything. You can actually make meals from what you get here,” said Angle.
“It will last a few weeks, probably close to all month,” said Cook.
Helping Harvest feeds 500 families in Schuylkill County at four mobile market locations. It's adding two more locations next month, hoping to feed another 300 households. If families miss the market, the organization will redirect them.
“Whether it’s a pantry or a different local market within Schuylkill County, we want to make sure that they’re always being fed,” said Beltran Del Rio.
Cook says he will be back next month, and he'll never miss an opportunity to thank the volunteers.
“We need more people like that in the world,” said Cook.