As part of our commitment to meet the needs in our community, we purchased and renovated a large warehouse in 2014 located at 812 N. Queen Street where we still reside today. Housed in this space is our large Food Hub and Clothing bank.

In 2018, we embarked on a Strategic Planning process to help guide our future growth. Through that process, it became apparent that our name no longer best represented who we were to the people we serve or our community at large like it once had when we were founded in 1947.

In May of 2019, we officially unveiled our new name, Lancaster County Food Hub – Serving with Faith and Compassion.

Nothing has changed about who we are and how we serve. Our Mission and Core Values are strong and clear.

Food Hub Partnerships

The organizations below are Food Hub Partners.  

Shelter

HandUp Partners

• • HandUp Partners is a grass roots initiative created by Lancaster’s very own Dave Costarella. Dave has been a friend to the unsheltered community for many years, providing basic human needs by receiving donations and driving around in his ‘red truck” dropping items off to anyone on the street. Then came his next best idea, ‘My People Clean Up.’ He began simply, offering a few dollars from his own pocket to unsheltered folks who utilize community parks and asking them to keep the areas clean. Recognizing that clean spaces benefit everyone, Dave brought a service to the community that connects a marginalized audience with neighborhood residents and benefits all. The Food Hub partnership with Dave formalizes and scales up assistance to an important subgroup of the population we serve at our day and night shelters.  Hand Up Partners embodies Costarella’s philosophy of making every individual a full partner in their own healing and journey to self-sufficiency, “at whatever level they are.” It’s also a way to counter negative perceptions by showing that unsheltered people can contribute to their neighborhoods. Donations designated to “Hand Up Partners” will go directly to support the cleaning programs at each neighborhood park in the City. Click the button to support HandUp Partners. Please be sure to write HandUp Partners under “write a note” located directly under payment amount!

Shelter

Refresh Lancaster

• • Refresh Lancaster is a service in collaboration with the Lancaster Emergency Medical Services Association (LEMSA) that offers showers and medical consults for unhoused neighbors. The shower trucks comes to the Food Hub every Wednesday from 1-3pm and offers necessary hygiene services to people who may not otherwise have access. It also provides an important entry point for anyone in need of services to other medical and social programs.

Food

Food Farmacy

• • The Food Farmacy is a partnership formed with Penn Medicine’s Lancaster General Health developed to address barriers to healthy eating in Lancaster County, particularly for low-income, food-insecure individuals and families. A dietitian with Lancaster County Food Farmacy offers free nutrition counseling and free, healthy food to patients and their families at the Food Hub. Following the nutrition counseling, clients can “shop” the shelves for healthy food. Clients with a nutrition-related chronic disease and a limited budget may be eligible for this program.

Clothing

PA Workwear

• • The PA Workwear program is a collaboration with DHS to provide individuals with professional attire for job interviews and specific clothing necessary for employment. Provided in partnership with PA CareerLink and Work Ready Programs, a referral from one of these two partners is required for entry.