"We're here to serve the community, and now we know this is our forever home," said Cathy Knittle, chairperson of the Manheim Central Food Pantry. The pantry is marking its 10th anniversary at 334 W. Gramby St., and the organization recently purchased the property from Salem United Methodist Church (UMC). The purchase has allowed the food pantry to continue its mission of helping to alleviate hunger by increasing access to food for people in the community at no cost and in a caring and respectful manner.

For years, the Manheim Central Food Pantry operated out of a basement in a local church. The space was small, and the volunteers had to haul prepacked bags of items up the stairs to distribute to the community. Then a staff member at Salem UMC suggested using the church parsonage to house the pantry. "A generous donor gave us some money that helped us make the move," Knittle recalled. "We jumped at the chance."

Volunteers completed renovations, including installing new flooring and converting a back porch into a storage room, and the pantry opened in September 2012. The home has provided plenty of room to keep shelf-stable, frozen and refrigerated items.

The food pantry relies on contributions and support from the community to continue its mission. Several freezers were donated by the Manheim Rotary Club, and arrangements with local farmers and grocery stores and the Manheim Farm Show keep the pantry stocked with meat. "We have a family that donates milk and eggs weekly," Knittle remarked, noting that another family recently donated a chest freezer. "People in this community are very generous." Along with food products, the pantry stocks personal care items such as toilet paper, shampoo and soap.

Clients must live in the Manheim Central School District and must complete a self-declaration annually, listing their income and the number of people in their household. "We're what's called a 'supplemental choice' food pantry," Knittle said, explaining that clients can visit once a month and choose from a variety of items within specific food categories. The pantry is part of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, which regulates how much food a household can get depending on its size and helps support the food pantry financially.

Knittle said there is a growing need for the food pantry in Manheim, noting that the organization served an average of 119 households or 330 individuals a month for the first four months of 2022. "We are registering new people almost every day," she said.

The pantry officially purchased the property in early May, and Knittle said a capital campaign will launch soon. The organization is under the umbrella of the Manheim Ministerium, which owns the mortgage, but the bill will be paid by the pantry.

A formal open house will be scheduled in September when the pantry marks its official anniversary in the home. For more information on the Manheim Central Food Pantry, visit http://www.manheimcentralfoodpantry.org or call Ruth Ellen Brown, the pantry client coordinator, at 717-664-1097.