PACS receives funds from Chester County Food Bank and Feeding PA

Phoenixville, PA December 2021: Pennsylvania food banks will receive nearly $11.4 million from a portion of the state’s allocation of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for cold storage and transportation resources. Locally, the Chester County Food Bank will receive $621,005 of these funds and, in turn, is providing $300,000 to the Phoenixville Area Community Services (PACS).

“We’re so grateful to Chester County Food Bank for their support,” says Mary Fuller, Executive Director of PACS. “Fresh food requires refrigeration, and we have very limited refrigeration in our building.”

The COVID-19 pandemic created a dramatic increase in demands on Pennsylvania’s emergency food assistance network, one that has not subsided. Even with this grant, the challenges food banks face operationally to meet the high demand remains great.

When PACS can secure the total funds needed for cold storage, it can focus its full efforts on securing and distributing healthy foods to those individuals and agencies who need it. “Some people may think that once our move to the larger space at 101 Buchanan was complete, then PACS was set for the future,” says Fuller. “But as wonderful as the new space is, we desperately need refrigeration to meet the community’s needs.”

PACS Board President Fred Hubler agrees. “Our ability to feed our neighbors and recover fresh food depends on refrigeration. That’s why we are so appreciative of the Chester County Food Bank. They see what we’re trying to accomplish. These funds will be extremely helpful to us as we work to obtain the refrigeration we need to recover and distribute more perishable food to our community.”

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 with more than 4,000 monthly requests for service. PACS also supplies between 12 and 15 other agencies, such as churches and nonprofits, with the food they need for their clients.

One of the few choice food pantries in Chester County, PACS has a staff of six employees and numerous volunteers. Visit www.pacsphx.org to learn how you can help or email Mary Fuller (mary.fuller@pacsphx.org) to schedule a tour and see first-hand what PACS needs to recover and distribute more food to its neighbors.

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