From Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank
Pictured above: The ribbon-cutting was attended by Rick Vilello, Christian Leinbach, Michael S. Rivera, Russell Redding, Jay Worrall, Judy Schwank, Caryn Long Earl, Jim Boscov, Dante Santoni Jr., Scott Gruber, and Tim Twiford.
On Thursday, Aug. 7, Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank, along with community partners and supporters, celebrated the recent opening of its second location, the Helping Harvest Community Kitchen (HHCK). The HHCK produces nutritious heat-and-eat ready meals that are distributed to those in need in Berks and Schuylkill counties, and allows Helping Harvest to rescue and distribute bulk food donations that it was previously not able to accept.
The event was preceded by a ribbon-cutting ceremony in coordination with the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance. The celebration included remarks by Jay Worrall, President, Helping Harvest; Jim Boscov, Chairman, Our City Reading; Russell Redding, PA Secretary of Agriculture; and Rick Vilello, PA Deputy Secretary of Community Affairs and Development; and a certificate presented by Representative Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz. Attendees also toured the kitchen and enjoyed light refreshments prepared by the Helping Harvest culinary team.
“This was an ambitious project from the start, and every day I walk into work absolutely amazed that we pulled it off. The reality is even better than anything I could have ever imagined, and I know this kitchen will have a positive impact on our community for years to come,” said Jay Worrall, President of Helping Harvest. “Of course, it didn’t happen in a vacuum, and we wouldn’t be in this beautiful new facility without the support of so many people who are in attendance today, and countless others.”
The vision for the HHCK began in 2019 when President Jay Worrall visited similar facilities across the region. Construction began in May 2024. Helping Harvest staff occupied the building, and the kitchen began producing meals in April 2025. The project was completed in partnership with Our City Reading and received funding from a number of federal, state, county, and city governmental sources, as well as significant private support.
The kitchen features state-of-the-art cooking equipment and preparation stations, an expansive meal preparation area, multiple food storage areas, two dedicated packaging lines, and a flexible configuration to accommodate program needs. The facility also includes a large classroom/conference room with large windows looking into the kitchen, a smaller conference room, and 13 offices housing Helping Harvest staff, including client-facing staff, thereby making them more accessible to neighbors in need.
Two shifts of volunteers are scheduled daily, with volunteers working alongside Helping Harvest chefs to prepare and package meals. The culinary team plans to produce thousands of meals per week. The kitchen also enables Helping Harvest to repackage and distribute rescued bulk food products, giving the neighbors it serves the opportunity to create their own meals with nutritious ingredients they may not have otherwise been able to use.
The HHCK will also create opportunities beyond meal production. Future plans include offering culinary training for individuals seeking job skills in food service and related industries, including a for-credit culinary program with Reading Area Community College.
About Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank
Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank is the leading provider of food to people in need in Berks and Schuylkill counties. Helping Harvest delivers food to over 350 partners in its service area. In 2024, Helping Harvest distributed over $20 million in food to neighbors in need. Helping Harvest is a Partner Food Bank of Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization.
The post Helping Harvest Celebrates Opening of Community Kitchen in Downtown Reading appeared first on BCTV.
Source: bctv
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