2021 Holiday Food and Toy Program
Welcome to our annual Holiday Program. This year, our goal is to provide holiday food boxes for families and toys for up to 250 children; aged 16 and under.
For Our Families:
Deadline to Register is November 19, 2021
This year, we are serving families and children who live in the 19464 zip code area. We are asking anyone interested in receiving a holiday food box or toys to please sign up online below. Also, instead of offering in-person toy selection and shopping at our Outreach Center, we will be pre-packaging the toy bags based on your toy selection on the registration form. After you register, we will contact you to schedule a date and time to pick up your food and/or toys at the Outreach Center located at 57 N. Franklin Street in Pottstown.
If you have questions, please contact Anissa at ajones@pottstowncluster.org or call 610-970-5995 to receive more information.
For Our Donors:
Are you interested in donating toys and/or food items to support our 2021 Holiday Food and Toy program?
To donate food items, please review our needed food item list and contact Anissa at ajones@pottstowncluster.org or call 610-970-5995 to sign up as a food donor.
Holiday Food Items:
green beans (400)
sweet potatoes (200)
mashed potatoes (200)
corn (200)
gravy (400)
cranberry sauce (400)
macaroni and cheese (200)
stuffing (200)
To donate age appropriate toys for children 16 and younger or gift cards for our older children, please contact Anissa at ajones@pottstowncluster.org or call 610-970-5995 to sign up as a toy donor.
All food and toys donations will need to be delivered to the Pottstown Cluster Outreach Center the week of December 17.
Join us online for a virtual celebration on Thursday, October 7 from 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Event Link:
pottstowncluster.org/virtualevent2021
Due to the pandemic, the Pottstown Cluster has made the decision to move our biggest annual fundraising event online. Everyone is invited to tune into this free annual event, which will include a opportunities to financially support our mission of providing food security and housing stability in our community as well as a behind the scenes look at the impact your support is having on our work and in the lives of those we serve.
A great way to help us spread the word about our work is to consider hosting a watch party!
What is a Watch Party?
A watch party is a small gathering of people either at your home or via Zoom. Prior to the 7 p.m. start time of our virtual event, we invite you to gather with friends, family or colleagues to watch the event together! You can either setup your TV to stream the virtual event or you can connect your laptop to your TV.
Why Host a Watch Party?
A watch party is a great opportunity to share your passion for the Pottstown Cluster! As a group, you can make a positive difference in the lives of your neighbors in need.
Don’t forget about the “PARTY” part of a WATCH PARTY!
Here’s your chance to have some fun and get creative! You can select a theme, offer fun appetizers, and even play games!
DONATE
Your valuable support makes a difference in contributing to the general operating expenses of the Pottstown Cluster. Your donation will help assure the fundraising success of this annual event that supports our services throughout the year, and will be especially important with the absence of ticket sales.
Our staff, board, volunteers, and community are getting ready to come together on Wednesday, July 14 for an outdoor Red, White, and Blue Anniversary Ice Cream Social! All are welcome to join us to celebrate ten years at our Outreach Center with a treat on Wednesday, July 14 from 2 PM to 5 PM.
The Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities participates in the Community Connection Project (CCP) as a Community Service Partner to Pottstown Hospital – Tower Health. The CCP is an Accountable Health Communities Model funded by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. The project works to screen Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries’ and connect individuals to local resources, such as the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities for any food related needs.
This project is supported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $4.5M with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.
On Friday, February 26, 2021, the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities celebrated Victoria Bumstead’s retirement from the Pottstown Cluster. Vicki has been a Pottstown Cluster employee since October 2010. She served initially as the Clothes Closet and Volunteer Coordinator and eventually took over the role of Outreach Center Director, managing the Food Services Programs. Under her leadership, the food service programs have grown and the Pottstown Cluster’s presence as a collaborative food provider in the region has been increasingly known. During her tenure, the Pottstown Cluster became the first ReDistribution Organization in Montgomery County; she converted the pantry’s database to SmartChoice, resulting in establishing an online inventory system for food services and an online ordering system for client food access; and has developed a food delivery system, offering better service to those requiring food assistance. Her commitment to the Pottstown Cluster and the food system in the region has been tremendous and will be greatly missed. All of us at the Pottstown Cluster are excited for her retirement and the next chapter of her story.
The 2020 Toyota Hunger Relief On Demand X1 Video Series Features The Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities in Partnership with Philabundance to Raise Awareness About Food Insecurity Throughout the Greater Philadelphia Area
The Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities, as a Philabundance partner, is featured in the 2020 Toyota “Hunger Relief” On Demand X1 three-part video series to raise awareness about food insecurity throughout the Greater Philadelphia area. The three-part video series is available in a “Hunger Relief” folder in a Toyota On Demand X1 destination and Xfinity subscribers can use their X1 voice remotes to say “TOYOTA” to learn more.
The videos are also available below.
Part I – What is Hunger?
Have you ever wondered what the face of hunger really looks like?
Part II – Bold New Strategies
Take a look at the “Bold New Strategies” of “Ending Hunger. For Good.” – a partnership program between the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities, Philabundance, and Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery and Delaware Counties. “Ending Hunger. For Good.” provides critical services and supports to improve food security and financial stability as well decrease the number of people facing hunger throughout the Greater Philadelphia area. “It’s not just about handing out food, it’s about helping people create stability in their lives through counseling services, life coaching, education about how to manage and save money, and building resources,” Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities Executive Director Barbara Wilhelmy said.
Part III – “Hunger Relief Partners”
Take a look at the local Tri-State Dealers Association 13th annual Toyota Haul Away Hunger Event which not only provided nearly half-million pounds of food to Philabundance in 2019, but also raised awareness about the severity of food insecurity throughout the Greater Philadelphia area. At least 90,000 people will benefit from the truckloads of food, but organizers said “it’s just a fraction of the people who need help in the region.” “There are about 700,000 people who require food and are food insecure. Of that, about 60% of them have somebody in that household that is working,” former Philabundance Executive Director Glenn Bergman said at the time. The majority of these food insecure households are the working poor.
MontCo Anti-Hunger Network is conducting large scale, weekly food distributions (between June 4, 2020 and July 2, 2020) in collaboration with the county’s Department of Public Safety and RSVP. At each event they are hoping to connect 1,500 households to USDA Farm to Families food boxes containing produce and mixed dairy products. Distributions will alternate between Willow Grove Park Mall and the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks for the next five Thursdays. Visit MontCoAntiHunger.org for more information.
Hi Friend,
During any crisis, it’s easy to turn inwards and focus on our own needs. However, many people from our community have been reaching out to us to support our mission as we work to provide food security and housing stability to local seniors and families in need during this critical time. This has been an important reminder of the power of community and the fact that working together is our community strength in Pottstown.
We want to recognize those who are helping others and working to keep us all safe. Please join us in recognizing your neighbors, coworkers, friends, and family members who are doing great things for others by using #COVIDCaringPottstown on your social media posts. We will be doing the same to keep you updated on the many acts of kindness we are receiving!
“All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we’re giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That’s one of the things that connects us as neighbors”- Fred Rogers
#COVIDCARINGPOTTSTOWN
Our volunteers and employees have been busy helping us meet the growing demand by packing food boxes, distributing food, and restocking shelves.
We appreciate all of our volunteers especially those who continue working vigorously to ensure our neighbors struggling with hunger do not have to worry about how they will feed themselves or their families. Thank you!
#COVIDCARINGPOTTSTOWN
|
|
||||||
|
#COVIDCARINGPOTTSTOWN
Working to Distribute and Deliver Food in Safe and Convenient Ways
Recent donations of new reusable bags from Redners, Giant, Pottstown GoFourth, Victory Bank, and First Quality Healthcare Group have helped ensure we can continue to distribute and deliver food in a safe and convenient way. A very special thank you to Eric White, Amy Wolf, Jennifer Delp, Deb Lee, and Jane Perkins for their support.
Keith Kovach at JB Supply, Inc. prevented us from experiencing a delay in food deliveries by allowing us to use their site and truck with needed lift gate. Also, Charlie Brian from Seneca Distributions, LLC generously helped us move a large quantity of food to the Pottstown YMCA.
COVIDCARINGPOTTSTOWN
Our dedicated volunteers have been busy helping us meet the growing demand by packing food boxes and bags, distributing food, and restocking shelves. Steve Palopoli, Sean Sullivan, Cyndi and Frank Cebular, Bill and Jan Morris, Jill Dennin, and Mary Blythe have been volunteering at our pantry each week since the start of the COVID-19 crisis. Also, Julianne Dallas and Kathy & Bob Haines have been delivering food boxes to homebound families and older at-risk adults who are unable to pick up food. They have been delivering food to our neighbors as volunteers for a while now, but really stepped up to help us during the COVID-19 crisis. We could not reach all of our families and seniors or continue to do what we do without them! Also, Rob and Paula Bickelman and Liz Peters have been consistently helping us at school sites each week to provide additional household food for families as we work to ensure our kids and their families are fed and can focus on health and growth, not hunger. We could not do it without them!
We appreciate all who remain dedicated and are currently working vigorously to ensure our neighbors struggling with hunger do not have to worry about how they will feed themselves or their families.
#COVIDCARINGPOTTSTOWN
Thanks to our friends at J.J. Ratigan Brewing Company and The Blue Elephant, we were able to distribute food and feed 1,500 first responders of Pottstown and surrounding communities! Donations were collected by Tri-County Community Network, US Foods, and Hurter Food Distributors. Watch the news coverage on WFMZ here.
COVIDCARINGPOTTSTOWN
The Alley on High Street, an open air space focused on fostering a community to gather, came up with a creative way to show their support when the COVID-19 crisis started. They sold “WASH YOUR HANDS” T-SHIRTS for $20 and donated the proceeds to support our mission and work.
#COVIDCARINGPOTTSTOWN
RocksStar Roller Derby found a unique way to follow social distance guidelines and provide entertainment to raise funds to support our local COVID-19 response efforts. The group hosted Facebook Stream-A-Thon and asked viewers to make a donation to support the Pottstown Cluster. All donors were even entered into a raffle for a chance to win a variety of local gift cards!
Without a sense of CARING, there can be no sense of COMMUNITY.