The event supports Helping Harvest’s mission of providing nutritious food to individuals and families facing food insecurity. This year’s celebration was backed by numerous sponsors, including AdviseMint Financial, Mountain Valley Golf Course, Mrs. T’s Pierogies, Jack Rich, Inc., AmeriHealth Caritas, and more than 20 additional local businesses.
The evening featured remarks from several speakers, including Helping Harvest President Jay Worrall, Board Chair Jeanne Boyer Porter, Servants to All Executive Director Jeannette Triano Sinn, and Reverend Craig Zimmerman of Saint Paul’s UCC in Ringtown, who delivered the invocation.
A major focus of the program was the impact of the Helping Harvest Community Kitchen, which opened in downtown Reading in April 2025. Since its launch, the kitchen has produced and distributed more than 30,000 heat-and-eat meals to Schuylkill County residents, many of them seniors.
Speaking from the perspective of a partner agency, Triano Sinn emphasized the importance of Helping Harvest’s support, noting that Servants to All would not be able to assist individuals experiencing homelessness in Schuylkill County without the organization’s resources.
Worrall highlighted the rapid success and growth of the Community Kitchen, explaining that the initiative has exceeded expectations since its inception. The kitchen repurposes bulk food products into ready-to-eat meals and family-sized portions with the help of professional chefs and volunteers.
“To be completely honest with you, I have never been a part of a project that so completely exceeded our ambition,” Worrall said. “We first completed 2,500 meals in a week in August of 2025, nine months ahead of schedule. We surpassed 100,000 meals in just our 10th month. Rather than recruiting seven or eight volunteers, we regularly see more than 20 each day.”
Beyond the kitchen, Helping Harvest reported significant growth in its overall operations. Over the past year, the organization distributed nearly 3 million pounds of food, valued at $5.7 million, throughout Schuylkill County — setting a new record. That food is delivered through a network of more than 100 distribution sites, including churches, senior high-rise buildings, and schools.
Worrall concluded his remarks by thanking supporters and reinforcing the organization’s mission to eliminate hunger locally.
“Because of your commitment, children in Schuylkill County will go to bed tonight with full bellies rather than going hungry,” he said. “Because of your generosity, grandparents are not forced to choose between buying medicine or buying food. Hunger is a solvable problem. Together we can end hunger in Schuylkill County.”
Helping Harvest has served Schuylkill County for more than 40 years and remains the region’s leading provider of food assistance. In addition to its general distribution efforts, the organization operates targeted programs such as the Senior Food Box Program, which delivered nearly 229,000 pounds of food to low-income seniors at 42 sites, and the Weekender Program, which distributed approximately 52,000 bags of food to students in need across 19 locations.
Photo above: Liz Beier and Annabellie Torres (L to R), both Kutztown University students, sing “Lean on Me” at the 3rd Annual Helping Harvest Celebration of Community & Hope – Schuylkill County
Photo below: Helping Harvest President Jay Worrall addresses the crowd of supporters at the April 30 Helping Harvest Celebration of Community & Hope event at Mountain Valley Golf Course
Photo below: Helping Harvest President Jay Worrall addresses the crowd of supporters at the April 30 Helping Harvest Celebration of Community & Hope event at Mountain Valley Golf Course
