PACS offers healthy treats for its one-year building anniversary

Phoenixville, PA October 2021: Phoenixville Area Community Services (PACS) is providing healthy Halloween treat bags in celebration of the one-year anniversary of its move to 101 Buchanan Street in Phoenixville. The treat bags will be given to local families visiting PACS during the last week of October. The bags, which feature popcorn, granola, and other health-minded treats, were donated by Joseph Scott McArdle of Keller Williams Realty.

Until October 2020, PACS worked out of a 184-year-old building that was originally built as a school. At just 2,500-sq. ft., that space was not sufficient to meet the area’s increasing demand for access to healthy, nutritious food. The current location at 101 Buchanan Street offers nearly 23,000-sq. ft, including a loading dock, expanded refrigerator space, and easy public access.

Although Chester County is the wealthiest county in Pennsylvania, 6% of its residents identify as food insecure. In Phoenixville, PACS has seen the need increase exponentially, particularly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Our small staff fulfilled more than 45,000 requests for service from July 2019 to July 2020, and we had more than 4,000 monthly requests for service in 2020,” says Mary Fuller, PACS Executive Director. “We also help supply food to between 12 and 15 other agencies, like churches and nonprofits, with the food they need for the people they serve.”

As one of the few choice food pantries in Chester County, PACS enables their neighbors in need to have some measure of choice when it comes to food selection. “This is really a key part of our mission,” says Frederick Hubler, Jr., PACS Board President. “Many people from all walks of life have dietary constraints related to diabetes or heart disease. Enabling some measure of choice can help support a healthy diet and reduce food waste.”

More than a decade ago, well-known local realtor Joseph Scott McArdle helped support a healthy food program at PACS by bringing in local, organically grown produce. At that time, McArdle was President of the Valley Forge Lions and raised money to buy shares at a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) that went to PACS. Today, McArdle donated the healthy Halloween snacks to commemorate the one-year anniversary of PACS’ move to its current location.

“This is my way of supporting the community and letting everyone know about PACS’ location on Buchanan Street,” says McArdle. “After the pandemic and the recent storm, it’s important to take time to give back to our community and creating this healthy alternative seemed like a great way to do it.”

PACS has a staff of six employees, numerous volunteers, and an 11-person board of directors. Together, this team works to serve more than 300 families in the Phoenixville region. 85% of the food comes from local donors—a true neighbors helping neighbors community model. To learn how you can help visit www.pacsphx.org