Weeklong Collection to Benefit Berks, Schuylkill County Families
WYOMISSING, Pa. – September 22, 2020 – Comcast announced today that it will host a weeklong food drive outside its Wyomissing Xfinity Store September 28 through October 2. Non-perishable food donations can be dropped off in an outdoor collection area in front of the store, located at 2777 Papermill Road, between 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. and will benefit Helping Harvest, the food bank serving Berks and Schuylkill Counties.
“We appreciate Comcast’s partnership in responding to the drastically increased need for food in our community,” said Jay Worrall, President of Helping Harvest. “Because of the economic fallout of the COVID crisis, we are now distributing more than one million pounds of food per month, nearly twice the monthly average from a year ago.”
Non-perishable food, personal hygiene and baby hygiene items will be collected by Comcast staff in a tent located outside of the Xfinity Store each day. Helping Harvest is in special need of cereal, peanut butter, rice, oatmeal, dry milk, snack items, beans, fruit juices, canned goods, shampoo, toothpaste and diapers.
“Comcast is proud to work with Helping Harvest in strengthening the communities we serve by collecting food for families during a critical time,” said Lisa Birmingham, vice president of external and government affairs for Comcast’s Keystone Region. “Thanks to their tireless and extremely important work, our region is a better place to call home.”
During a typical year, Helping Harvest distributes nearly seven million pounds of food to more than 300 charitable food program partners, including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, after-school programs, Mobile Markets and senior housing facilities. Their network of charitable food programs provides emergency food for an estimated 112,400 different people annually, including 26,900 children under 18 years of age and 17,000 seniors.
