Choice Food Pantry – (photo credit Marco Calderon)

Government officials joined the New Bethany leadership team to celebrate the Choice Food Pantry’s renovation campaign.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. (October 16, 2024) – New Bethany, a local nonprofit that provides nutritious food access, housing, and social services to under-resourced communities, was joined by government officials Rep. Steve Samuelson, Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure and Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds to celebrate its Choice Food Pantry renovations with a ceremony on Monday, Oct. 14.

“The end of Covid-era protections for low-income families has led New Bethany to expand our services more than ever before,” said J. Marc Rittle, executive director of New Bethany. “Our Choice Food Pantry now features a 150% upgrade of usable space to store food and accommodate increased foot traffic. We polled our neighbors who use our services and learned they prefer a grocery shopping experience. Our renovated pantry features shopping carts, a produce display with mister, refrigerators and freezers with glass doors. The goal is to provide our guests with the ability to make their own food choices, including healthy options for the whole family.”

New Bethany embarked on the renovation campaign based on the feedback from a visitor survey conducted by the nonprofit in 2023. The survey revealed that the majority of visitors wanted an experience akin to shopping at a grocery store.

Renovations made to the food pantry include:

• Second floor reinforcement to hold 60,000 lbs., increasing food storage space.
• Designated space for volunteer activities.
• Cargo elevator installation.
• Enhancements were made for a more grocery store-style experience, including shopping carts, glass-front refrigerators, a produce-misting system and a bagging station.
• Removal of walls to improve guest flow.

The pantry renovation was made possible by donations from various community organizations and government programs:

• Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Act 101 Food Recovery Infrastructure Grant
• United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
• City of Bethlehem Community Recovery Fund
• Grow Norco Grant Program Through The County Of Northampton Department of Community & Economic Development
• Helen & R.K. Laros Foundation
• The Provident Bank Foundation
• Sylvia Perkin Perpetual Charitable Trust

 

About New Bethany

New Bethany offers hope and support to neighbors who experience poverty, food insecurity, and homelessness. They believe that all people, regardless of circumstances, should be treated with dignity and care without judgment. No one who seeks help is turned away. New Bethany meets people where they are by offering wraparound services designed to remove barriers and assist individuals and families in reaching self-sufficiency. It starts with a meal and other street-level human services, including showers, laundry services, mailing address, and access to their Choice Food Pantry, and continues with housing assistance, job search support and tools, and case management. To learn more about New Bethany, find them on Facebook @NewBethanyLV or visit them on the web at www.newbethany.org.

Information provided to TVL by:
Amiee Goldy
www.socialtmarketing.com