The Bridge Fund: A Lifeline for Food Access in the Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley is facing a growing food crisis. Ongoing state and federal budget impasses have caused major disruptions in funding for essential nutrition programs — leaving food banks and community pantries struggling to keep shelves stocked just as demand surges.
Across our region, families who rely on these programs are experiencing deep uncertainty. Food deliveries are delayed, inventories are depleted, and community organizations that form the backbone of our local safety net are running on fumes.
A Collaborative Response
In response, the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation has established the Bridge Fund, a rapid-response fund designed to stabilize food access across the region. Working closely with United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, the Critical Food Providers Action Team, and other community partners, the Bridge Fund will be used to provide funding for critical needs in our community.
The first focus of this fund will be to support emergency food access for our community. With over 40% of Greater Lehigh Valley residents living paycheck to paycheck, funding pauses to programs like SNAP have led to greater food insecurity. At the same time, many of our region’s social service providers are struggling to keep up with the need and have not been able to access funding that typically supports food access programs. Currently, just over 106,000 people receive SNAP benefits in the Greater Lehigh Valley.
We are joining together with other funders and donors to raise $500,000, which will support the following:
- Keeping key food pantries stocked with crucial staples for a minimum of three months
- Ensuring that food is distributed to where it’s needed most
Funds will be distributed for immediate relief, working in partnership with the Critical Food Providers Action Team, a group of local charitable food leaders who are co-leading this response strategy.
There are many ways to support:
- Donate to the fund, and your local food pantry.
- Volunteer: You will need to pull this info from the final press release
- Donate food items: You will need to pull this info from the final press release
Questions — Contact Megan Barnes Briggs, Vice President of Community Investments at: megan@lvcfoundation.org or call 610 351-5353 Ext. 121
Make a gift to the Bridge Fund to support food access during this difficult time
