Deb Widell of Hughesville picks out some food at the New Love Center’s Mobile Food Pantry at Geisinger Muncy, Sept. 19, 2023. The food pantry travels throughout Clinton and Lycoming Counties allowing residents to choose their own food from the available supplies in the truck so they can have adequate food each month rather than go hungry. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
The New love Center’s Mobile Food Pantry was on the road last week with a stop at Geisinger Muncy in order to serve residents in that area who are experiencing food insecurity.
Food insecurity — not having access to nutritious food — has increased throughout the state since the pandemic, partly due to the expiration of enhanced benefits.
“The Mobile Food Pantry is really to access areas where people may not be able to reach food, who are food insecure,” said Alice Fox Cline, director of operations for the New Love Center.
The Mobile Food Pantry travels to various parts of Lycoming and Clinton counties. Geisinger has partnered with the Center to establish the service to the community.
“We come here once a month and our clients have grown tremendously,” Cline said of their visit to the Muncy Township site.
The New Love Center’s Mobile Food Pantry is parked at Geisinger Muncy, Sept. 19, 2023 as clients line up to get food from the truck. The food pantry travels throughout Clinton and Lycoming Counties allowing residents to choose their own food from the available supplies in the truck so they can have adequate food each month rather than go hungry. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
“That’s really the mobile unit is, to go around to the different parts of the two counties, Lycoming and Clinton and to see that people have an opportunity to get food,” she added.
In order to receive the food from the pantry, people need to have a photo ID and fill out a self-declaration form.
“We do not check. It’s a self-declaration form. They say what their income is,” Cline said.
The response from those seeking help at the mobile pantry has been “wonderful,” according to Cline.
“What we’ve seen here is clients from all over the area. They say, especially down here, ‘We never knew anything about the food pantry.’ So, yes, we’re definitely making an impact on the community,” she said.
![](https://i0.wp.com/ogden_images.s3.amazonaws.com/www.sungazette.com/images/2023/09/25183100/9-19Foodpantry002-1100x619.jpg?resize=788%2C443&ssl=1)
Alice Fox Cline, director of operations for the New Love Center, is one of the many people from the New Love Center helping get food for clients at the New Love Center’s Mobile Food Pantry at Geisinger Muncy, Sept. 19, 2023. The food pantry travels throughout Clinton and Lycoming Counties allowing residents to choose their own food from the available supplies in the truck so they can have adequate food each month rather than go hungry.
DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
“I can’t tell you the last time I heard a complaint. People are very grateful for the opportunity, just like we’re grateful to serve them. So, that’s the plus,” Cline said.
Deb Widell, of Hughesville, has visited the mobile food pantry three times so far to obtain food for her and her husband.
“Well, I will put it to you this way — if they wouldn’t be here, we probably wouldn’t have enough food for the rest of the month,” Widell said.
“They let you pick out what you want so that if you don’t want something, you know, they don’t make you take it. And I like that idea because, if I already have this stuff at home, it gives somebody else a chance to get more,” Widell said.
The New Love Center partnership with Geisinger has enabled “a much-needed resource” to be brought to the community, according to Danielle Forker, director of nursing at Geisinger Muncy.
She said the response from the community has been overwhelming.
“Just to watch it grow over the last couple of months that they’ve been here has been tremendous,” Forker said.
“Even asking for volunteers to help while they’re here is overwhelming. Each month, I have to pick people who want to do it to come out and do it. I’m here to help in any way that I can to facilitate their needs while they’re here,” Forker said.
Geisinger also partnered with the New Love Center to operate the Fresh Food Farmacy at the center’s location at 263 Henry St., Jersey Shore.
The New Love Center recently received a $50,000 state food insecurity grant for its work to provide nutritious food to Clinton County residents.
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