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Feed 263 families each week at the Harvest Pantry in Reading

Help keep a free food pantry open for families facing hunger in Reading.

🇺🇸 Reading, Pennsylvania, United States1,777 views
Rashmi N. Walia
Email verifiedPassport verified
Reading
Since 2021, our volunteer team has run the Harvest Pantry every Sunday from the back of the parish hall. We started with 11 families, and now we feed 263 each week. Donations have dropped by about 33% this school holidays, while the line has grown every single week. We rely on volunteers - 11 of us - and keep no salaries or overhead. I buy staples at wholesale prices at the Reading market and keep every receipt. Each $40 feeds a family of four for a week. All of the funds go to groceries, fresh produce, and cold-storage costs. Where the $1,350 goes: • Baby formula and diapers: $470 • Fresh vegetables and fruit: $580 • Refrigeration and electricity: $300 Please ask me anything in the questions section. I'll answer honestly and quickly.
#food-pantry#hunger#volunteer-led#food

Updates from Rashmi

  1. Thank you all. We're at 55% now ($737). I'm honestly stunned. I met with the wholesaler and confirmed the amounts.

  2. Small update. $546 so far, I made the first payment toward baby formula and diapers.

  3. Thank you all. We're at 19% now ($261). I'm honestly stunned. I made the first payment toward refrigeration and electricity.

Donations

RecentTop gifts
  • Annabelle C. Weaver 🇳🇿 · $200
  • Taylor E. Garza 🇬🇧 · $200
  • Madelyn M. Brewer 🇺🇸 · $74

    “Wishing you the best. Only $74 but hope it helps. - Cambridge”

  • Savannah Peters 🇦🇺 · $59
  • Seul-gi Da-eun Baek 🇰🇷 · $50
  • Waylon Holland 🇺🇸 · $50
  • Ritu Bajpai 🇮🇳 · $50
  • Cooper W. Pena 🇨🇦 · $50
  • Luke E. Carlson 🇬🇧 · $50

    “Thought of Rashmi all day after reading this. - London”

  • Min-seo Min-seo Ko 🇰🇷 · $50
  • Svetlana Zoya Korolev 🇺🇦 · $50

    “Good luck. My father told me about this one. - Odesa”

  • Stephanie D. Garza 🇺🇸 · $50
  • Neil Mendoza 🇵🇭 · $46
  • Maya Kabita Thapa 🇳🇵 · $46

    “Thought of Rashmi all day after reading this. - Lalitpur”

  • Dina Dalia Rashid 🇸🇦 · $30
  • Kobi Ran Cohen 🇮🇱 · $30
  • Samuel Kingsley Bankole 🇳🇬 · $30

    “Wishing you the best. Thought of Rashmi all day after reading this. - Ikeja”

  • Femi Samuel Okoro 🇳🇬 · $25
  • Emmanuel Kyei 🇬🇭 · $24
  • Yakubu Femi Eze 🇳🇬 · $20

    “Sending love. Only $20 but hope it helps. - Wudil”

Reviews

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Questions & comments

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  • Henk Daan Timmermans

    you're not alone. Your post was clear and honest. My late mom used to say help given quietly counts double. Blessings.

    • Sara Khadija Saleh

      reading this made my day a bit heavier but I'm glad I did. Don't be hard on yourself for asking. Thinking of Reading.

      • Vincent Boyer

        best of luck, Rashmi. Hope this works out for you. I have a 17 year old who wants to send good wishes too. Greetings from Taguig.

        • Kai R. Oliver

          shared it with a few friends. Put this on a community board in Istanbul this morning

          • Danica B. Rodriguez

            thinking of you, Rashmi. Shared this with my family.

            • Daniel Dennis Simiyu

              so sorry you're going through this, Rashmi. Everyone deserves a bit of help sometimes. Greetings from Kilkenny

              • Wolfgang Krämer

                hope it all works out, Rashmi. Everyone deserves a bit of help sometimes. God bless

                • Hazel M. Salvador

                  Sending love, Rashmi. Hope this works out for you. We're a small family in Pretoria but we're thinking of you. Love from Pretoria.

                  • Hellen Caroline KyagulanyiVerified organizationPhoto verified

                    Thinking of you, Rashmi. Gave what I could, wish it was more. All the best.

                    • Zbigniew Wójcik

                      Hope it all works out, Rashmi. Looking forward to the next update. Don't lose heart. A few weeks ago I was in a hole too and it changed faster than I expected. Greetings from Bang Khen

                      • Brooklyn Rhodes

                        You're not alone, Rashmi. Your post was clear and honest.

                        • Arthur Arthur Le Roux

                          Thinking of you and your family, Rashmi. Reading this made my day a bit heavier but I'm glad I did. My colleague had a similar thing happen so this one hit home. All the best

                          • Carmen F. Álvarez

                            keep going, Rashmi. Everyone deserves a bit of help sometimes. Love from Jakarta.

                            $1,351 raised of $1,350

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