Food Bank - AAA Central Penn

AAA Central Penn has been coordinating group volunteer opportunities since 2001 and has volunteered over 6,000 hours of community service since 2019! Special thanks to our staff and AAA Members for their continued support and showing that AAA Cares!

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Make the Greatest Impact

In every community in America, people are working hard to provide for themselves and their families. Yet, in 2023, 47 million people—approximately 1 in 7—experienced food insecurity in the United States. The increased cost of living, coupled with increasingly limited access to food, is creating a national hunger crisis.

This summer, AAA is focusing on donation and volunteer efforts, as this is when many children are out of school and often experience food insecurity. In 2023 alone, 13.8 million children did not have the food they needed to thrive.

Join AAA in making a difference. Together, we can help end hunger and support our neighbors in need bring home meals to their families.

Help Dontate

$15 = average take out lunch
$5 = average cost to pack your lunch

By donating your lunch savings ($10), you could help provide 100 meals to hungry Pennsylvanians.

Starting on June 1, 2025, if you donate $10 or more in any AAA Central Penn branch, we will even give you the container to pack your lunch!

*while supplies last

Join a AAA Cares Volunteer Group

This is a difficult and challenging time, both around the globe and right here in central Pennsylvania. Members of our community struggle everyday with unforeseeable challenges – thousands in our area have been severely impacted by missed work, increased childcare expenses, uncovered medical bills, and other financial pitfalls.

Join AAA Cares at one of these 2025 events to lend a hand and show central PA how much we all care! To save your seat at one of these volunteer events, and to get your free AAA Cares t-shirt, email AAACares@aaacp.com.

Cocoa Packs, Hershey

The core of Cocoa Packs mission is to ensure that all children are food secure every day of the year. For children, food insecurity is particularly devastating. Not having enough healthy food can have serious implications for a child’s physical and mental health, academic achievement, and future economic prosperity. Join AAA Cares at the Cocoa Packs distribution center to pass out vital “packs” to local families in need:

Wednesday, June 4: 1:00pm – 5:00pm (Spring Creek Church, 335 E Areba Ave in Hershey)

*Please note, the AAA Hershey office will have modified hours from 9am – 12pm on June 4, 2025, to support this volunteer event.

Find out more about how the Cocoa Packs helps children in Derry Township School District and the surrounding area.

Project Share strives to reduce food insecurity for neighbors in the greater Carlisle area by offering access to nutritious food, programs and a support network that promotes self-sufficiency, fosters dignity and instills hope. Join AAA Cares to help those in need:

Thursday, June 5: 9:30am – 12:30pm

*Please note, the AAA Carlisle office will have modified hours from 1pm – 5pm on June 5, 2025, to support this volunteer event.

Find out more about Project Share and their mission!

The Water Street Mission, Lancaster

The Water Street Mission is more than a food bank. They provide emergency shelter, residential programs, a community clinic, early childhood educations, teen mentoring and MORE! Join AAA Cares to tackle cleaning projects across the Teen Haven Campus. Please sign up to join us as we help those in need:

Friday, June 27: 1:00pm – 5:00pm

*Please note, the AAA Lancaster office will have modified hours from 9am – 12pm on June 27, 2025, to support this volunteer event.

Find out more about how the Water Street Mission helps to restore lives in Lancaster!

Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Harrisburg

The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank typically serves more than 253,000 people across the central PA region each month, and now that number is growing! Join AAA Cares to sort donated food supplies that will be transported throughout the entire central PA region. Please sign up to join us as we help those in need:

Wednesday, July 2: 1:00pm – 4:00pm

*Please note, the AAA Harrisburg office will have modified hours from 9am – 12pm on July 2, 2025, to support this volunteer event.

Wednesday, July 9: 8:30am – 12:00pm

With one in 9 people in central Pennsylvania facing food insecurity, including one in 7 children, we work in collaboration with more than 1,130 partner agencies and programs to provide assistance through a number of programs aimed at children, veterans and active duty military personnel, seniors and more. Find out more at Central PA Food Bank.

New Hope Ministries, Mechanicsburg

New Hope Ministries is more than a food bank. They have 9 different food centers for residents to pick at a location near them and a mobile food pantry making multiple stops each day, but they also provide workforce development programs, housing assistance, transportation assistance, and youth programs. Join AAA Cares at the Mechanicsburg location to pack boxes of food to be donated. Please sign up to join us as we help those in need:

Wednesday, August 13: 1:00pm – 4:00pm

*Please note, the AAA Camp Hill office will have modified hours from 9am – 12pm on August 13, 2025, to support this volunteer event.

Find out more about how the New Hope Ministries helps to serve our neighbors in their time of need!

Lebanon County Christian Ministries (LCCM), Lebanon

LCCM is the food bank of Lebanon County and serves more than 41,000 meals each year. They provide a market 4 days a week, a dine-in meal on weekdays and most weekends, a pantry on Sundays, an emergency shelter, senior programs, and other community support programs! Join AAA Cares to prep, serve, and clean up the noon dine-in meal for community members:

Thursday, August 14: 9:00am – 3:00pm

*Please note, the AAA Lebanon office will be closed on August 14, 2025, to support this volunteer event.

Find out more about Lebanon County Christian Ministries and how they invest in people and improve lives!

More than ever, donations are vital to ensure that as more people need food assistance during this crisis, the charitable food system will be able to rise to the need.

For the month of June, AAA Central Penn branches will also be collecting non-perishable food items. These are things like dry and canned food donations. Basically, any food that is “shelf-stable” or nonperishable – you can keep it in your pantry and it won’t go bad. And remember, only donate food that hasn’t reached its “sell-by” date yet. Specifically, food banks often need items like:

Peanut butter
Canned soup
Canned fruit
Canned vegetables
Canned stew
Canned fish
Canned beans
Pasta (most prefer whole grain)
Rice (most prefer brown rice)

Where to Go for Help?

Individuals in need of help are encouraged to call 211 (or send a text including your zip code). 211 is a non-emergency line that connects individuals directly to programs and services based on areas of need. Individuals can also access 211 online at https://www.pa211.org/.