HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has awarded $4,125,923 to various nonprofits, including food banks and soup kitchens, through the Food Recovery Infrastructure Grant (FRIG) Program.
The grants are designed to reimburse costs for equipment such as refrigerators, freezers, stoves, and both refrigerated and non-refrigerated vehicles. This equipment allows organizations to store, transport, and prepare recovered food for redistribution. Under the program, applicants were eligible for up to $50,000 each.
“This program focuses on diverting food from landfills to organizations that can redistribute it,” said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley. She noted that nonprofits require specialized infrastructure to ensure food is handled and stored according to safety standards during transit.
According to the DEP, food waste is a primary contributor to the state’s waste stream, with an estimated 1.6 million tons disposed of annually. Beyond landfill capacity concerns, decomposing food waste is a documented source of greenhouse gas emissions.
The DEP noted that special consideration during the selection process was given to projects serving areas identified under the state’s Environmental Justice guidelines.
Grants were awarded to the following recipients:
Allegheny County
Allegheny Singer Research Institute — $9,551
Feeding The Flock Ministries — $29,999
Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank — $50,000
Jamar Place of Peace — $43,693
Light of Life Ministries Inc — $50,000
Rosedale Food Pantry — $3,097
South Hills Interfaith Ministries — $29,755
The Salvation Army Pittsburgh — $40,680
This Generation Connect — $50,000
Armstrong County
Armstrong County Community Action of Pennsylvania — $27,203
Beaver County
Families Matter Food Pantry doing business as (DBA) Faith Restorations Inc — $40,252
Berks County
Berks Latino Workforce Development Corp — $39,728
Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank — $39,750
Opportunity House — $49,924
Rehoboth Seventh-day Adventist Church — $41,047
St. Marks Evangelical Lutheran Church — $14,070
Blair County
Central Pennsylvania Food Bank — $48,804
The Hope Center — $27,995
Tyrone Area Food Bank — $10,370
Bradford County
Child Hunger Outreach Partners — $50,000
Bucks County
Bucks County Opportunity Council Inc — $46,974
Still Rise Foundation Inc — $7,700
Renew Bible Ministries of Perkasie INC DBA Revivals — $50,000
Rolling Harvest Food Rescue — $9,258
Butler County
The Lighthouse Foundation — $24,464
Carbon County
Common Ground Ministries — $50,000
Centre County
Commonfood Inc — $34,715
Faithcentre Inc — $29,672
Greater Buffalo Run Valley United Methodist Church — $7,936
Chester County
Chester County Food Bank — $50,000
Kennett Area Community Service DBA Kacs — $13,844
Phoenixville Area Community Services Inc — $50,000
Safe Harbor of Chester County Inc DBA Safe Harbor of Chester County — $25,541
West Chester Food Cupboard — $8,728
Crawford County
Associated Charities of Titusville — $49,250
The Salvation Army Meadville — $2,964
Cumberland County
Deliverance Temple DBA Oasis of Love Church — $50,000
Project Share of Carlisle — $50,000
Shippensburg Produce and Outreach — $50,000
Dauphin County
Ministry Business Consultants DBA The Valley Lighthouse — $50,000
Delaware County
Bywood Community Association — $49,777
Community Y of Eastern Delaware County — $15,153
STEPNUP Mentoring and Community Interactions — $48,230
Erie County
Allegheny Singer Research Institute — $9,551
Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania — $43,370
Fayette County
The Salvation Army Uniontown — $11,386
Franklin County
South Central Community Action Program Inc — $43,935
Indiana County
Indiana County Community Action Program Inc — $50,000
Lackawanna County
The Bread Basket of Northeastern Pennsylvania — $11,400
Catholic Social Services — $25,545
Child Hunger Outreach Partners — $50,000
Meals On Wheels of Northeastern Pennsylvania Inc — $50,000
United Neighborhood Centers Of Northeastern Pennsylvania — $4,706
Lancaster County
Blessings of Hope — $50,000
Columbia Presbyterian Church Hands Across The Street — $41,033
Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County — $22,165
Power Packs Project DBA Power Packs — $50,000
Lawrence County
New Life Baptist Church — $49,880
Lebanon County
Calvary Chapel Lebanon — $50,000
Lebanon Rescue Mission — $50,000
Lehigh County
Parkland CARES Food Pantry Inc — $50,000
Syrian Arab American Charity Assn — $50,000
The Salvation Army Hospitality House — $38,068
Luzerne County
Catholic Social Services of The Diocese of Scranton Inc — $8,029
The Food Dignity Project Inc — $50,000
Lycoming County
American Rescue Workers — $40,437
Mercer County
Community Food Warehouse of Mercer County — $49,047
Good Shepherd Center Inc — $17,128
Mifflin County
Mifflin County Commissioners Mifflin/Juniata Human Services — $7,641
Montgomery County
ACLAMO Montgomery County — $22,296
Emmanuel Lutheran Church — $12,586
Garden of Health Inc — $19,357
HopeWorx Inc — $46,050
Manna on Main Street — $49,224
Mattie N Dixon Community Cupboard — $20,245
Norristown Hospitality Center — $46,741
Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities — $7,099
Willow Grove Baptist Church — $50,000
Willow Grove Sda Church — $42,481
Northampton County
Easton Area Neighborhood Center Inc — $9,336
New Bethany Inc DBA New Bethany Ministries DBA Episcopal Ministries — $50,000
Community Action Committee of Lehigh Valley — $49,932
Northumberland County
Greater Susquehanna Valley YMCA — $50,000
Perry County
Newport Assembly of God Church — $50,000
Philadelphia County
Brothers of Strawberry Mansion — $50,000
The Common Place Inc Dba The Common Place Scholars — $44,070
Caring for Friends — $48,865
Community of Compassion Inc — $49,495
Esperanza Health Center Inc — $45,015
Jesus Christ In Power Ministries — $37,250
Jewish Family & Childrens Service of Greater Philadelphia — $28,477
Living Word Ministries International Inc — $34,395
Mantua Cares Association — $49,814
North Light Boys Club SDBA North Light Community Center — $50,000
North10 Philadelphia — $41,990
Northwest Community Court Program — $10,140
Philabundance — $50,000
Philadelphia Martin Luther King Jr Association For Nonviolence Inc — $15,795
Puentes De Salud — $2,686
Sharing Excess Inc — $37,943
The Peoples Kitchen Philly — $19,829
Tindley Temple United Methodist Church — $22,490
United For Christ Life Saving Word Ministries — $16,047
Pike County
Bushkill Outreach Program, Inc. — $44,900
Schuylkill County
Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank — $37,766
Venango County
Christ United Methodist Church — $50,000
Washington County
Greater Washington County Food Bank — $40,340
Westmoreland County
His Food Ministry — $50,000
The Salvation Army — $50,000
Westmoreland County Food Bank Inc — $50,000
York County
Harvest of Blessing Inc — $48,511
Pleasant View Church DBA Hearts for Hunger — $17,700
Without A Hook — $31,568
York Benevolent Association — $32,045
York County Food Bank — $50,000
New Hope Ministries Inc — $50,000
For more information, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s website.
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