Women’s History Month is both a celebration and a call to action. It honors the extraordinary contributions women have made to our communities, culture, and history.

The 2026 theme, “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future,” challenges us to invest in women so they can lead, thrive, and build stronger communities for all of us.

This month, the Pottstown Cluster is raising awareness and support to ensure the women in our greater Pottstown area community have reliable access to nutritious food. Food not just to survive, but to thrive. Because when women have food security, families are stronger, children are healthier, and communities are more resilient.

Throughout the month, we will also spotlight some of the many remarkable women who power our mission. These will be our volunteers, partners, and advocates whose strength and leadership make our work possible. Each of these women will also be honored at:

A Toast to Table Security: Wine Tasting & Food Sampling Fundraiser Benefiting Local Food Security on Thursday, April 16, 2026. Please save the date. You are invited!

Did You Know?
In Montgomery County, PA, the largest demographic living in poverty is women ages 25–34, followed by women ages 18–24, and then women 75 and older.

Many of these women are primary caregivers. For them, buying groceries often competes with paying rent, utilities, childcare, or medication. No one should have to ask:

Do I feed my children or pay my rent?
Do I feed myself or fill my prescription?
In 2025 alone, we served 2,476 women-led households. That means 2,476 women and the families who depend on them had consistent access to nutritious food when they needed it most.

You can securely and conveniently make a donation online below. Your support makes this possible.  And together, we can do even more.

Donate Now!

Food Pantry Behind the Scenes: From Procurement to the Table

Ever wonder how our community food pantry really works? Here is your inside look at the precision, planning, teamwork, and coordination required to transform donations into dependable meals for our Pottstown area neighbors struggling with food insecurity.

It all begins with procurement and donations. Food arrives at our Outreach Center from generous donors, regional partners, retailers, and suppliers. Every pallet is received, inspected for quality and safety, sorted by category, weighed, logged, and entered into inventory systems. Nothing simply “comes in and goes out.” Every item is accounted for so we can steward resources responsibly.

From there, the real choreography begins.

Our team manages inventory daily by rotating stock, monitoring expiration dates, forecasting demand, and planning distribution schedules to reduce waste and stretch resources as far as possible. This is ongoing, detailed work that requires constant oversight. Behind every distribution day are hours of preparation, coordination, and problem-solving.

And our operation does not stop at our pantry doors.

We are proud to help power Pottstown’s Community Meals Program, which has been serving residents for over 50 years. Supplying food for meal sites and ensuring consistent supply so that every location can reliably welcome guests. These meals are made possible through collaboration with congregations and organizations across the Pottstown area. We work diligently behind the scenes to help keep those tables full. Everyone is welcome.

In addition, we serve as the largest food redistribution organization in Montgomery County, supplying food to localized food pantries throughout the county. Redistribution at this scale requires capacity, transportation coordination, partner communication, compliance standards, and logistical planning. By moving large quantities of food efficiently and equitably, we strengthen the entire hunger-relief network across Montgomery County.

We, in response to growing concerns about food insecurity and limited access to nutritious food, have improved access to healthy food by working with partners to develop additional satellite pantries in the greater Pottstown area. Establishing these access points requires planning, supply allocation to ensure families can access nutritious food closer to home.

At our Outreach Center location, one of the ways we serve individuals directly is through our OPEN PANTRY Kiosk Ordering system in the Outreach Center lobby. Guests place orders in person, and behind the scenes our team reviews selections, checks inventory availability, and packs each order according to household size and nutritional balance.

We also operate Remote Online Shopping to remove barriers for families. This requires technology management, order monitoring, scheduling coordination, and organized pickup systems to ensure efficiency and accuracy.

For neighbors who are house-bound or facing transportation challenges, we coordinate delivery routes, prepare specialized food boxes, and ensure timely drop-offs. This involves route planning, packaging standards, and consistent communication.

Powering all of this is our SmartChoice Virtual Pantry ordering system, aligned with ChooseMyPlate guidelines. This system is not only about choice. It requires inventory integration, point tracking, and nutritional planning. It allows us to promote balanced meals while responsibly managing thousands of food items with minimal waste.

Finally, and most importantly we welcome our guests. Whether in person, online, through community meal sites, satellite pantries, redistribution partners, or delivery, every interaction reflects careful preparation and a deep respect for dignity.

In 2025 we distributed more than 594,812 pounds of food through our pantry, community meals, and by supplying smaller local food pantries. We also served 14,515 households through our Outreach Center food pantry.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 25, 2025

Pottstown Cluster Coordinates Thanksgiving Meal Kit Distribution to Support Local Families

Pottstown, PA — In a collective effort to address food insecurity and provide accessible Thanksgiving meals to Montgomery County, Pa residents in need, the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities partnered with the Pottstown Area Food Collaborative and seven local organizations to distribute Thanksgiving meal kits throughout the Pottstown community. This initiative, which included pre-packed meal kits with turkey or chicken and all the necessary side items for a full Thanksgiving dinner, ensured local families would enjoy a Thanksgiving meal regardless of financial barriers.

To manage this large-scale effort, the Pottstown Cluster led the coordination of food sourcing, packing, and distribution logistics. Through a combination of community donations, partnerships with regional food distributors, and strategic purchasing, the Pottstown Cluster secured all necessary items for the meal kits. Staff and volunteers worked together to inventory, sort, and prepare items ahead of the distribution event. The Pottstown Cluster also oversaw the full packing operation—organizing assembly lines, supervising volunteers, and confirming that each box contained the appropriate components for a complete Thanksgiving meal. Once assembled, the Pottstown Cluster transported and delivered the meal kits to community site locations, ensuring timely and efficient distribution across the region.

Thanksgiving meal kits were assembled on Monday, November 24, 2025, at the Pottstown Cluster Outreach Center. Volunteers from community groups, including First Presbyterian Church, Hobarts Run, Leadership TriCounty, and others, helped to sort, pack, and distribute the kits to seven designated community pick-up locations, where community distribution occurred later that day from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Patricia Shepherd, Food Services Director at the Pottstown Cluster, shared, “Streamlining our efforts not only strengthens our collective impact but also helps eliminate duplicated services, allowing us to reach more people more efficiently. It’s about ensuring that every person, no matter where they live, has the opportunity to sit down with their family and enjoy a Thanksgiving meal.”

Community partner pick-up locations included First Presbyterian Church, The Pottstown Salvation Army, YWCA, Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities (PCRC), Mission First, Pottstown Hospital/Tower Health, TRAAC (TriCounty Active Adult Center), and My Mobile Market. These sites ensured that meals were available to residents across Pottstown, including areas with limited access to food resources.

For over 50 years, the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities has been dedicated to providing vital services to individuals and families in the Greater Pottstown area. As a nonprofit organization, the Cluster works to address food insecurity, housing instability, and other basic needs, while fostering collaboration with community partners to create a stronger, more resilient region. Learn more at pottstowncluster.org.

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Our 2025 year-end campaign has now come to a close—thank you to everyone who gave so generously.

Now, we invite you to make a 2026 gift to support our mission in the year ahead. Your unrestricted donation through the donation form on this page below helps us provide food, essential resources, and a hand up to neighbors who need it most.

Give today and help us turn hardship into hope all year long.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 10, 2025

Media Contact: Amanda Hoffman
ahoffman@pottstowncluster.org / 610-970-5995

New Grant Award to PCRC

Pottstown, PA — The Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities (PCRC) is pleased to announce the awarding of a first-time grant from the Foxwynd Foundation. This grant of $16,000, funded through a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) managed by the Foxwynd Foundation, will support PCRC’s emergency food programs.” The lack of an approved state budget has resulted in severely decreased in-kind food donations to PCRC from our community partners. “This grant will help PCRC continue services without interruption during very difficult times,” said Jacqui Good, executive director.

The mission of the Foxwynd Foundation is to act as a lifeline for communities in need by enhancing access to key pillars of human dignity and potential such as healthcare, housing, and sustainable environmental initiatives. “The Foxwynd Foundation is pleased to be able to respond to the needs of our greater community by supporting the work of PCRC,” said Pamela Villagra, Foxwynd Executive Director. “Working toward food security is a crucial component to assuring human dignity.”

In 2024, the PCRC food services team served over 22,446 people in our food pantry alone. We continue to supply smaller area pantries and have expanded into several food deserts in the Pottstown area, in addition to our ongoing support of community meals. PCRC also administers a fuel oil grant program, and works to help low-income older adults remain housed in a program that we designed and our donors and grantors support.

The Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities is a nonprofit organization working to transform lives by offering basic needs assistance to improve people’s socio-economic stability in Greater Pottstown area. For over 50 years, the Pottstown Cluster has provided food security, housing stability, and supportive services to individuals and families in need throughout the greater Pottstown area while also uniting with local partners in a shared mission to meet basic needs and build a stronger, more resilient community. Learn more at pottstowncluster.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 11, 2025

Pottstown Cluster Expanded Access to Food with Satellite Pantry Partnerships

Pottstown, PA — In response to growing concerns about food insecurity and limited access to nutritious food in underserved areas, the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities is improving availability to healthy food by working with community partners to develop more satellite pantries. The Pottstown Cluster has serviced area food pantries for years, but they have added additional sites in order to tackle the ever-increasing needs of the community.

“Food insecurity is a challenge we can only overcome together. Transportation is often a barrier for families and individuals in need of healthy food. These partnerships allowed us to extend our reach and ensure that more people have reliable access to the food they need to thrive ,” said Patricia Shepherd, food services director at the Pottstown Cluster. “This initiative is about meeting people where they are. Our food insecure neighbors are not limited to coming to our Outreach Center but have food closer to their home. We’re ensuring that no one is left behind when it comes to access to nutritious food.”

Through this partnership model, the Pottstown Cluster supplies the food and provides operational guidance, while the hosting pantry locations manage the scheduling and volunteer coordination. Each site has the flexibility to choose its own distribution days, hours, and frequency—ensuring the program can adapt to the unique needs of each community it serves. The program is completely anonymous—no ID or registration is required—removing a common barrier for those who may hesitate to seek help.
Satellite Pantry Recent Additions:

Coventryville United Methodist Church, 1521 Old Ridge Road, Pottstown, PA: Distribution: 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Bright Hope Community, 467 W. King Street, Pottstown, PA: Distribution: 2nd and 3rd Tuesday of the month from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The College Student Basic Needs Program, now called the Resilient Students Network: Montgomery County Community College, Pottstown, PA Campus: Distribution: Stock up for Success food pantry located at North Hall 1st floor.
Established pantries supported by the Pottstown Cluster: Bethel Community Church of Pottstown (BCCP), Daily Bread, Mission First, Open Door, Open Link, Ricketts Center, Salvation Army, and YWCA.

The Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities is a nonprofit organization working to transform lives by offering basic needs assistance to improve people’s socio-economic stability in Greater Pottstown area. For over 50 years, the Pottstown Cluster has provided food security, housing stability, and supportive services to individuals and families in need throughout the Greater Pottstown area while also uniting with local partners in a shared mission to meet basic needs and build a stronger, more resilient community. Learn more at pottstowncluster.org.

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