YMCA OF CENTRE COUNTY

It’s important to us to ensure that no one in our community goes hungry during these unprecedented times. Learn more about our food distribution efforts and support the cause today!

Make a Donation (Food or Monetary): 

• Online: CLICK HERE
• Mail: YMCA of Centre County Development Office, 677 W Whitehall Road, State College, PA 16801.
• In-Person: Our four facilities will able to accept donations in-person during the day. Doors will likely be locked, but someone will be at the front desk to let you in.

Food Items Needed: 

• Canned soups – tomato or chicken noodle
• Mac & Cheese family boxes
• Pasta: spaghetti or other types
• Spaghetti sauce (preferably in plastic jars or cans)
• Loaves of bread
• Nutrigrain Bars
• Oatmeal
• Jelly in a plastic bottle/jar
• Bottled water
• Apples
• Oranges
• Quarts of milk

Items can be dropped off at our Bellefonte, Moshannon Valley, and State College branches between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM Monday through Friday. Items can also be dropped off at the Penns Valley branch, but please email [email protected] in advance to schedule a drop-off time.

Drive-Through Bagged Meal Distribution for Kids:

In response to COVID-19, we’ve established 30 sites to distribute bagged meals for children. Each site is open Monday through Friday from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. Each child receives a lunch, an evening snack, and milk. The following is a list of sites currently distributing meals. This list is subject to change based on need.

Bald Eagle School District: 

• Citizen’s Fire Company – Milesburg
• Pine Glen Fire Company
• Snow Shoe EMS Building
• Wingate Elementary School

Bellefonte School District: 

• Beaver Farms Apartment Complex
• Bellefonte YMCA
• Continental Courts
• Governor’s Gate Apartments
• Pleasant Gap Elementary School

Moshannon Valley School District: 

• Madera Fire Company
• Ramey Fire Company
• The Wreck Center – Houtzdale

Penns Valley School District: 

• Don Wert Memorial Park – Aaronsburg
• Centre Hall Fire Company
• Miles Township Fire Company – Rebersburg
• Millheim Fire Company

Philipsburg-Osceola School District: 

• Calvary United Methodist Church – West Decatur
• Columbia Fire Company – Osceola Mills
• Hope Fire Company – Philipsburg
• Osceola Mills Elementary School
• P.O. Middle School
• Moshannon Valley YMCA
• Wallaceton Fire Company

State College Area School District: 

• Ashworth Woods – Boalsburg
• Limerock Terrace Complex
• Nittany Gardens Complex
• State College YMCA

West Branch Area School District: 

• Grassflat Fire Company
• Morris Township Fire Company
• Windburne Fire Company
• West Branch School Building

Baby Food:

We carry a limited supply of baby food for those who are in need. Please call 814-342-0889 for more information.

Weekend Meals for Kids:

Every Friday, when children pick up their bagged meals, they also receive a bag or box of food for the weekend. This is the same concept as our “Backpack Program,” which many children took advantage of while they were in school.

Mobile Feeding: Travelin’ Table and Local Restaurant Partnerships:

The Travelin’ Table, our mobile feeding bus, is on the road five days per week visiting our feeding sites to distribute food we are receiving through partnerships with several local restaurants. A different restaurant is supplying food each day. A second mobile unit, called Angel 1, is also helping distribute this food.

DUE TO A MECHANICAL ISSUE, THE TRAVELIN’ TABLE IS OFF THE ROAD FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. WE ARE WORKING TO DEVELOP ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO TRANSPORT FOOD FROM LOCAL RESTAURANTS TO THE LOCATIONS IT WAS SCHEDULED TO VISIT (LISTED BELOW). 

Mobile Feeding Schedule:

• Thursday, May 21: Travelin’ Table at Winburne Fire Company from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
• Friday, May 22: Travelin’ Table at Grassflat Fire Company from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM

Restaurants Providing Food:

• Texas Roadhouse
• Jersey Mike’s Subs
• Snap Custom Pizza
• Chick-Fil-A
• Brown Dog Catering
• Sowers Harvest Cafe
• Panera Bread
• Primanti Brothers
• Wegmans

Soup Drive-Through Sites for Seniors and Veterans:

Several sites host soup drive-throughs on a weekly basis for seniors and veterans in need of food during this challenging time.

• Bald Eagle Valley Community United Methodist Church on Runville Road
  • Every Monday from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
• Trinity United Methodist Church on Front Street in Philipsburg
  • Every Monday from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM – organized by Philipsburg-Osceola teachers and staff
• Moshannon Valley YMCA
  • Every Wednesday from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
• Bellefonte YMCA – in municipal lot behind the building
  • Every Wednesday from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
• Progress Grange in Centre Hall
  • Every Friday from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM

Family Sites:

We currently have 3 family centers, which provide free boxes or bags of food to families in need of groceries during this challenging time.

Progress Grange Family Site:    

• • Providing bags of food for families and meals for seniors and veterans from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM on Fridays
  • Located at 217 S Pennsylvania Avenue, Centre Hall, PA

Penn Highlands Family Site: 

• • Providing bags of food to families in need on Wednesdays and Fridays from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
  • Located in the former Penn Highlands building next to the old Bi-Lo in Peebles Plaza in Philipsburg, PA.

DiamondBack Family Site: 

• • Providing bags of food for families in need on Wednesdays and Fridays from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
  • Located in the Eureka Building at 703 Hannah Street in Houtzdale, PA.

Additional may be added. For more information, contact Mel Curtis at [email protected].

Large Food Distribution/Fresh Express Events:

Our Fresh Express program offers staple fresh foods, such as meats, fruits, and vegetables. Food is available to anyone, regardless of income or family size. No questions asked. The sites listed below will distribute food on a regular basis.

Occasionally, we may also offer larger food distributions at locations to be announced on our Facebook pages and this portion of our website.

Some start times are subject to change based on our food delivery truck’s schedule. For the most up-to-date information, please contact the Moshannon Valley Branch at 814-342-0889.

• Penn Highlands Family Center in Philipsburg: 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month beginning at approximately 11:00 AM
• Mountain Top Alliance Church in Snow Shoe: 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month beginning at 1:00 PM
• Bald Eagle Valley Community Church in Wingate: 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month beginning at 1:00 PM

Food Delivery:

Through several partnerships, we are able to provide meal delivery service to shut-ins and families that don’t have transportation to one of our sites. To receive this assistance, please contact Mel Curtis at [email protected] or 814-342-0889.

NEW! Frozen Meal Delivery

We will soon be delivering pre-baked frozen meals to shut-ins and families without transportation to one of our sites. These meals will consist of enough food for a family of four and can be adjusted for larger families. All meals will meet nutritional guidelines for children and adults.

Meals that are part of this service will be delivered to your home or a distribution site in your community. Please contact Mel Curtis at [email protected] or 814-342-0889 for more information.

Volunteer Information: 

If you would like to volunteer at any of our sites or warehouse, please email: [email protected]. In your message, please include the following information: Name, phone #, email address, the school district area that you are willing to volunteer in, and what type of volunteer work you are willing to do (transport food to sites, volunteer at sites, volunteer for packing, or volunteer to pick-up donation). We have received a tremendous response from our community, and we want to make sure we are responding to everyone. For safety reasons, volunteers will only be working in small groups and will be required to wear a mask. 

If you or someone you know are struggling to put food on the table or if you are willing to provide support of any kind, please contact Mel Curtis at (814) 342-0889 or [email protected].

We’ll continue to provide updates regarding our Anti-Hunger initiatives as they become available. Thank you in advance for your support.

Join us for a weekly Coffee Talk through Zoom on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:30 AM. Click the link below to join. For more information, contact Cindy Lupton at [email protected].

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82622559114

YMCA Members:

We hope that you and your family are safe and well. As we all brave unfamiliar territory, your support as a member during this time is critical, as the services the Y provides to kids and families are needed now more than ever. Although our facilities are currently closed to the public, we continue to serve our community by providing:

• Drive-Through Food Distribution: When schools were mandated to close, many children lost access to healthy meals provided through their school’s free and reduced lunch program. As other businesses were required to close, additional families began to face food insecurity. Within a few days, we gathered resources to start distributing food at drive-through sites throughout Centre County. We’re currently providing food for over 2,000 kids and families in need at 30+ sites per day.
• Groceries for Families in Need: Several sites are currently distributing bags full of groceries 1-2 times per week to families in need.
• Meals for Seniors and Veterans: We’re working with other local organizations to provide drive-through meal distribution for seniors and veterans.
• FREE Child Abuse Prevention Services: To ensure we’re continuing to protect children from abuse during this crisis, we’ve partnered with several local agencies and have offered Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children training through Zoom for FREE.
• Virtual Health and Wellness Resources: We know that exercise is an important part of our members’ daily lives, and we want to continue to be a resource for you to maintain your health and well-being until we can welcome you back into our facilities again. Some of our wellness staff have recorded fitness classes so you can exercise at home with your favorite Y instructors. To access online classes, click here.

The work we’re doing right now is a critical part of our community’s journey back to normalcy; however, we can’t do it alone…we need your support. Many members have chosen to support us by keeping their membership active or donating to the cause, which has fueled our initial response to our community’s needs during this time.

Learn Why Others Have Stayed With Us: 

“I am keeping my Y membership active during this time because I love the fact that the Y is so much more than a ‘gym and swim’ facility. It encompasses the spirit of community, and as a member for over 20 years, my family has received so much from the Y that I will always continue to support it. We’ve found friendships, swim and basketball teams for our children, and a safe and fun place to work out. The YMCA has been a wonderful fit for our family, and because of the benefits we’ve received, I try to embrace opportunities to help out when outside needs arise. Feeding and taking care of families within our community makes me so proud to be a member of such a great organization. We are all in this together, and united we are so much stronger, so I feel humbled by the efforts of the Y. During this very difficult time for so many families, I LOVE that our Y has gone above and beyond to make our neighbors’ lives more bearable and provide nourishment where needed. My family and I will do all we can to support the Y, from keeping our membership active to donating food continuously throughout this tumultuous time.”

“We have been YMCA of Centre County members for 15 years. Even though the facilities are currently closed, we are keeping our membership active so that those funds can support the Y’s emergency operations, notably feeding those in our community that are facing food insecurity.”

“I decided to keep my Y membership active even though I’m not currently using the facility after I learned the Y is feeding over 1,000 kids per day in Centre County. This is great to hear given the current situation we’re all facing due to COVID-19. I’ve been a longtime member, and helping in whatever way I can makes me feel happy. Hopefully this all ends soon and life goes back to normal. Looking forward to getting back to the Y soon!”

We urge you to join this community effort by keeping your Y membership active to ensure that we have enough resources to deliver these essential services. If you would like to offer additional support, donations are being accepted at our branches during the day (call ahead to confirm hours) or by mail. You can also give online and access a list of food items needed by clicking here.

Thank you for playing such a vital role in our efforts to strengthen our community, particularly during this time. Please continue to follow all suggested measures to keep yourselves safe and healthy. We look forward to seeing you soon.

The article below was written by a YMCA of the USA representative in response to questions from White House officials regarding efforts being made by local YMCAs to aid community members during the Coronavirus outbreak. We’re pleased to have been one of the two associations that they chose to spotlight. Read the full post here. You can help us with these efforts by donating or volunteering. Learn more by clicking here. 

Mel Curtis, Moshannon Valley Branch Director at the YMCA of Centre County, began mobilizing his mobile meal program last week when he realized the schools would be potentially closing. He reached out to community partners to organize mobile meal delivery sites for children and grocery drops for families. Before Coronavirus struck, Mel was organizing over 700 weekend backpacks to distribute to kids throughout State College, PA in addition to offering weekly meals afterschool and during the summer.

Now, Mel has collaborated tirelessly to ensure children still have access to food during school closures with his buses delivering meals this week. Mel shares that parents are ecstatic to have help with groceries and have been very appreciative as the Y hands out food. As closures started happening across the county, a single mother called Mel at the Y because she did not know where to turn. She panicked. With schools closed and grocery stores sold out, she did not have what she needed to care for her 7-year-old son with Autism. The Y was able to get hygiene products and groceries she desperately needed.

Mel also shared that the outpouring of support is unbelievable. Coca Cola sent skids of water to the Y as a donation. A trucking company called from Minnesota and said they had a truck in PA that had a refused delivery, would the Y be interested? The company donated 8 skids of snacks that were going to be delivered to a high school that closed. Clubs are making sandwiches. A volunteer paid an apple farmer $500 to donate a truckload of apples and the farmer is adding more! A school administrative assistant is volunteering her time to help the Y coordinate the excess of SFSP paperwork to get more sites added in the community (18 more sites requested for approval tonight).

Community volunteers are helping secure food donations and making calls to help supply the bags of groceries being distributed to families along with children’s meals.

Mel says the Y of Centre County is hosting a food drop on Friday with Representative Glen Thompson at Bellefonte Court House and at the State College Walmart parking lot on Saturday.

These food drops are in addition to the Y’s Travelin’ Table mobile meal and grocery distribution. Volunteers packed over a thousand bags on Monday alone.