A bag of groceries can be the start of something that transforms a life. That's how staff and volunteers at The Salvation Army in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, see food assistance.

"We want to introduce other programs like nutrition education, employment assistance, workforce development, and education opportunities," says Jenny Gallager Blom, program and operations director for The Salvation Army in Harrisburg. "But, it often starts with a bag of groceries."

The food in those grocery bags often is provided by Midwest Food Bank Pennsylvania without charge.

"Because the food is provided free of charge, we can supplement our resources to serve record numbers of people coming to us for assistance," says Jenny.

Those record numbers have surpassed even peak times during the pandemic. In the fiscal year 2021-2022, The Salvation Army served over 46.000 people in Dauphin, Cumberland, and Perry Counties. In 2022, TSA added evening and weekend food pantry appointment times to accommodate working families.

The Salvation Army food assistance programs are one way they meet the needs of body, mind, and spirit - helping people move from dependency to self-sufficiency. They are one of over 200 partner agencies that receive food from Midwest Food Bank, Pennsylvania. 

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