The month of June is nationally recognized as Pride Month, and we’re highlighting stories surrounding the LGBTQ+ community and its impact on the Susquehanna Valley. A Lancaster County LGBTQ+ group is now expanding its food pantry. Lancaster Chooses Love says it’s all because it has seen the need in the community increase. Parker Webb walks around the new, larger Lancaster Chooses Love Food Pantry. “So, this room is full of things we get from the food bank. They’ll be able to shop through here for anything that they need. They can really take, you know, if they need five boxes, they can take five boxes. And that way they can help out their whole family,” Webb said. Last year, the pantry was in a smaller location near Penryn, Lancaster County.Now, it’s in downtown Lititz.”We did need to expand. Actually, our food pantry has been serving so many folks, that we were kind of outgrowing the space that we were in,” Webb said. The pantry is open to everyone, not just members of the LGBTQ community. They’re serving around 200 families a week.Pantry manager Holly Tshudy buys around 8,000 pounds of food every week. That is on top of donated foods from area businesses. “Until I started volunteering here, I never realized the extent in the Lititz area, Manheim area that we have for the need of food,” Tshudy said. Tshudy knows how important the pantry is. Along with being a volunteer, she’s also a client. “There would not be food on my table if it wasn’t for this organization. They were kind enough to help me. How can I give back? So, I started volunteering,” Tshudy said. The food pantry is not only helping families with food insecurity, but it’s also building bonds in the community. “So, it’s really great to get to engage with so many different community members and be able to educate and just like a day-to-day way,” Webb says. “It really touches my heart because I don’t do it for any kind of recognition. I do it because they need some. They need help. If you need something, we’re here to help. People need to know there is somewhere to turn to. And we want to be that solution,” Tshudy said. The Lancaster Chooses Love Pantry is a no restrictions food bank. That mean people can live anywhere and don’t need to show any proof of need to use the program.
The month of June is nationally recognized as Pride Month, and we’re highlighting stories surrounding the LGBTQ+ community and its impact on the Susquehanna Valley.
A Lancaster County LGBTQ+ group is now expanding its food pantry.
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Lancaster Chooses Love says it’s all because it has seen the need in the community increase.
Parker Webb walks around the new, larger Lancaster Chooses Love Food Pantry.
“So, this room is full of things we get from the food bank. They’ll be able to shop through here for anything that they need. They can really take, you know, if they need five boxes, they can take five boxes. And that way they can help out their whole family,” Webb said.
Last year, the pantry was in a smaller location near Penryn, Lancaster County.
Now, it’s in downtown Lititz.
“We did need to expand. Actually, our food pantry has been serving so many folks, that we were kind of outgrowing the space that we were in,” Webb said.
The pantry is open to everyone, not just members of the LGBTQ community. They’re serving around 200 families a week.
Pantry manager Holly Tshudy buys around 8,000 pounds of food every week. That is on top of donated foods from area businesses.
“Until I started volunteering here, I never realized the extent in the Lititz area, Manheim area that we have for the need of food,” Tshudy said.
Tshudy knows how important the pantry is. Along with being a volunteer, she’s also a client.
“There would not be food on my table if it wasn’t for this organization. They were kind enough to help me. How can I give back? So, I started volunteering,” Tshudy said.
The food pantry is not only helping families with food insecurity, but it’s also building bonds in the community.
“So, it’s really great to get to engage with so many different community members and be able to educate and just like a day-to-day way,” Webb says.
“It really touches my heart because I don’t do it for any kind of recognition. I do it because they need some. They need help. If you need something, we’re here to help. People need to know there is somewhere to turn to. And we want to be that solution,” Tshudy said.
The Lancaster Chooses Love Pantry is a no restrictions food bank. That mean people can live anywhere and don’t need to show any proof of need to use the program.
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