Restoration project brings multiple benefits to the community
As a global corporate citizen, EnerSys® strives to power the future – everywhere for everyone. EnerSys is dedicated to improving the lives of people through our time and products, and a core part of our culture at EnerSys is being an active member of the communities in which we work and live. That is why EnerSys is proud to commit an annual donation totaling $500,000 over the next 5 years to Helping Harvest to support their initiatives in combatting hunger in Pennsylvania.
Helping Harvest is a non-profit organization that collects, purchases, stores, and distributes over nine million pounds of food annually to the more than 350 programs that feed the hungry in Berks County, where the EnerSys headquarters is located, and neighboring Schuylkill County.
Each year, more than 110,000 people are fed with food received from Helping Harvest. In 2022 alone, Helping Harvest distributed more than 9.6 million pounds of food valued at more than $14,900,000 to 300+ charitable food program partners: food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, after-school programs, Mobile Markets and senior housing facilities.
But that is just the beginning. In partnership with Boscov’s Department Store LLC, and other groups, Helping Harvest is seeking to open a food kitchen through a restoration project of a blighted building in downtown Reading, Pennsylvania, not far from the EnerSys global headquarters. Located near the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, the blighted building will be renovated to house the Helping Harvest food kitchen and potentially other community spaces.
“Helping Harvest is a fantastic initiative that has been a key pillar in our community for over 40 years,” said EnerSys Chief Financial Officer, Andi Funk. “EnerSys is proud to help fund this restoration project, especially knowing our community will have access to increasing resources, warm meals, safe spaces, art and culture havens, and more.”
With a commercial food kitchen, Helping Harvest will be able to offer more prepared meals to community members who need it. Historically, prepared foods have a greater impact on people in need who may not have the resources or space to prepare food themselves.
“We’re grateful for local companies like EnerSys that are helping to support this community enhancement project,” said Jay Worrall, President of Helping Harvest. “No one deserves to go hungry. This project will not only help us provide more food to families in our community and provide job training opportunities, but will also allow us to provide more healthy food options to low-income seniors. This truly is a remarkably impactful project!”
EnerSys is also heavily involved with other local projects and organizations such as the United Way, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Caron Treatment Centers, and more. For more information, please visit: https://www.enersys.com/en/about-us/sustainability/stories_worth_sharing/