The following resource calendar highlights the availability of food distribution services across Cumberland County. Click on events to learn more information about sites and their services. Visit the Find Food page to learn more.
Access & Nutrition
The following resources are available in Cumberland County and the surrounding area related to food access and nutrition. Also included below is a selection of information on nutrition and state resources.
Find Food
Central Pennsylvania Food Bank – SNAP assistance, Youth programs, MilitaryShare, ElderShare, food assistance.
- SNAP Guidelines (English and Español)
- Find Food: food pantries, apply for SNAP, and other resources.
- Local Food Pantries in Pennsylvania- search by your city or town
- Leveraging SNAP to Improve Public Health: A Toolkit for Advocates
- Restaurant Kids’ Meals: A Toolkit to Improve Options
Nutrition Information
Penn State Cooperative Extension Cumberland County-Workshops, conferences, and news.
Tapestry of Health WIC Program-Free nutrition information, breastfeeding support, healthy foods, health screenings, and referrals.
USDA Digital Nutrition Resources for Kids-A fun website with readings, songs, videos, activities, and an online portal aimed at educating children.
Eating Healthy on a Budget-Tips and resources for eating healthy on a budget.
State Resources
Food Resources for Pennsylvanians, Department of Agriculture-Information on PA 211, Food Banks, as well as State and Federal Resources.
Pennsylvania Food Policy Council, Established in December 2022, this important policy initiative of the Shapiro Administration is tasked with evaluating and advancing solutions to issues facing Pennsylvania’s food system.
Ending Hunger in Pennsylvania, Department of Human Services-Information on food programs, Blueprint to End Hunger, data, resources, and more.
- Setting the Table: A Blueprint for a Hunger-Free PA (Updated July 2016).
Become an advocate!
In 2020, one in 12 Cumberland County residents faced barriers to accessing nourishing food. As a result, the quantity and quality of meals within a household are noticeably disrupted or reduced. Across Cumberland County, about 20,020 neighbors were considered food insecure in 2020. Multiple factors impact a household’s food security level including economic status (e.g. job loss, sudden medical expenses, etc.), transportation (e.g. lack of reliable transportation, costly gas/public transit fares, etc.), and accessibility (local sources of food, culturally relevant food options, food pantry hours, etc).
Help your community by breaking down barriers! Explore the links below to learn more.
Advocacy Organizations
- Cumberland County Farmland Preservation
- Feeding Pennsylvania
- Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
- Pennsylvania Food Policy Council
- Pennsylvania Hunger Action Coalition (Hunger-Free Pennsylvania is the organizing agency)
- School Nutrition Association of Pennsylvania (SNAPA) School Meals for All
Advocacy Tools
- Leveraging SNAP to Improve Public Health: A Toolkit for Advocates
- Restaurant Kids’ Meals: A Toolkit to Improve Options
Additional Resources
“The fact that we have such pervasive food insecurity is not because we don’t have enough food. We lack justice and equity within our food system, we lack the courage or patience to tackle the root causes of poverty, and we lack the political will to ensure living wages and a strong social safety net. We can do better.”
– Advocate and author Katie Martin, page 4 of her book Reinventing Food Banks and Pantries: New Tools to End Hunger
CCFSA Documents
In 2020, the CCFSA Leadership Council used the alliance goals and objectives to develop a Strategic Vision and 2021-2022 Work Plan. Supporting the work of Partner Organizations, work groups are under development to address Policy, Data and Assessment, and Improving the Food System. Learn more using the tabs below.
Strategic Vision and 2024-2025 Work Plan
CCFSA Leadership Council Position Descriptions
Work Group Data Assessment
The Data and Assessment work group was formed in October 2021, with the goal to provide research and data to increase understanding of the local food system. Please contact co-chairs Heather Bedi (bedih@dickinson.edu) and Zach Zook (zzook@centralpafoodbank.org) if you are interested in supporting this work group.
Resources for current work group members can be accessed on the Data and Assessment page (note: this is password protected).
Work Group: Policy
Coming Soon!
The identified need for this work group is to create broader understanding in the community and among policymakers of both favorable policies and those that disadvantage members of the local food system.
Work Group: Improving the Food System
Coming Soon!
The identified need for this work group is to identify and foster targeted initiatives to address gaps, weaknesses or redundancies in the local food system.
Newsletter Archive
12/18/2025 – Winter 2025 Newsletter
05/16/2025 – Spring 2025 Newsletter
12/19/2024 – Fall/Winter 2024 Newsletter
05/20/2024 – Spring 2024 Newsletter
11/22/2023 – Fall 2023 Newsletter
11/21/2022 – Fall 2022 Newsletter
04/28/2022 – Spring 2022 Newsletter
09/01/2021 – Fall 2021 Newsletter
06/25/2021 – Summer 2021 Newsletter
Local Organizations
Many local organizations provide services and resources to support our community.
- Central Pennsylvania Food Bank (Harrisburg)
- Farmers on the Square (Carlisle)
- Feeding Pennsylvania / Feeding America (Harrisburg)
- Project SHARE (Carlisle)
- Shippensburg Community Resource Coalition (Shippensburg)
- Shippensburg Produce and Outreach (Shippensburg)
- South Central Community Action Programs (Chambersburg and Gettysburg)
- United Way of Carlisle & Cumberland County (Carlisle)
Research and Partner Organizations
Research
Dickinson College students in Dr. Heather Bedi’s Environmental Studies and Food Studies course researched and wrote the Food Access and Poverty in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania story map in 2018. It aims to inform and enhance community food planning in the county. The assessment was updated in 2022.
Partner Organizations
The CCFSA embraces the collective impact model, encouraging our region to build a common agenda of developing a sustainable local food system. Learn more about the important work of our partner organizations within the community.