Helping Harvest Expands Programs, Now Serving Every School in Pottsville

Helping Harvest has announced that it now has a presence in every school within the Pottsville Area School District as the organization continues to expand its efforts to combat childhood hunger in Schuylkill County.

Through its Weekender Program for younger students and its School Pantry Program for middle and high school students, the food bank is increasing access to food assistance for children and families facing food insecurity.

“At Helping Harvest, we have a focus on supporting children during their peak brain development years, basically from the time they are in the womb through middle and high school,” said Helping Harvest President Jay Worrall. “The Weekender and School Pantry programs are critical supports to this focus, and I am ecstatic that we are expanding our reach to the populations most in need of food assistance in Schuylkill County, including young learners.”

Weekender Program Supporting Younger Students

The Weekender Program provides students with bags filled with easy-to-prepare meals and snacks to ensure they have food available over the weekend when school cafeterias are closed.

In the Pottsville area, the program is currently offered at:

• John S. Clark Elementary School in the Pottsville Area School District
• Pottsville Head Start and Pottsville 2 Head Start, operated by Child Development, Inc.
• Gillingham Charter School

The program has seen significant reach across the county. In 2025 alone, Helping Harvest distributed 51,575 Weekender bags across 19 sites in Schuylkill County. Those bags contained 175,584 pounds of food valued at approximately $487,799.

School Pantry Program Expands to Middle and High Schools

Helping Harvest’s School Pantry Program focuses on older students and their families by offering food assistance in a familiar and accessible setting within their schools.

In Pottsville, the program is available at:

• D.H.H. Lengel Middle School, where the pantry is known as the Crimson Cabinet
• Pottsville Area High School

Across Schuylkill County, school pantry programs have also been established in Minersville and at Schuylkill Haven Area Middle School, where the Hurricane Cabinet opened earlier this school year.

In 2025, Helping Harvest distributed 7,195 pounds of food through school pantries across Schuylkill County, providing food valued at approximately $15,578.

Programs Rely on Community Support

Helping Harvest noted that the Weekender Program receives no government funding, and none of the school pantries operating in Schuylkill County receive government support either. The programs rely on donations, partnerships, and community support to continue serving students and families in need.

More information about the Weekender Program, School Pantry Program, and Helping Harvest’s Maternal Health Program, which assists pregnant and postpartum individuals and their babies, can be found on the organization’s Youth Programs page.