DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) — Food insecurity continues to rise across Pennsylvania, with one in eight households in the state struggling to put enough food on the table, according to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank’s food insecurity report.
The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank distributes food across 27 counties and serves more than 270,000 people each month.
The latest report shows food pantry visits are up 67% compared to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. The food bank said inflation and families losing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are among the reasons more people are seeking help.
“There’s a direct connection between SNAP and the charitable food system. So, folks are just trying to access the food that they need to feed their family,” said Zach Zook, chief strategy officer for the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.
Food pantries are helping families fill that gap.
The number of people receiving SNAP benefits has dropped following the approval of new work requirements by Congress. Able-bodied recipients must report at least 20 hours per week of work, education, training or volunteering.
Zook said food insecurity has increased highly across Pennsylvania and at the county level. According to the food bank, the state has seen a 44% increase in food insecurity since 2021.
The 2026 Food Insecurity in Pennsylvania report shows the child food insecurity rate is 21.1% in Dauphin County and 11.3% in Cumberland County. Together, the two counties have roughly 22,000 children experiencing food insecurity.
“For children, food insecurity is much more elevated. Households with children are more likely to experience food insecurity than households without children across the state of Pennsylvania,” Zook said.
Zook said food insecurity is one of the most pressing challenges facing communities and emphasized the importance of legislative action.
“Reinvesting in the SNAP program, reinvesting in food assistance programs at the federal level, but also investments at the state level, are really important to reducing food insecurity,” he said.
With Election Day looming, CBS 21 reached out to the two candidates running for Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District, Republican Rep. Scott Perry and Democrat Janelle Stelson, for their positions on food insecurity and what they would do to address it.
In a statement, Stelson criticized Perry’s support for legislation that she said cut nearly $200 billion from SNAP. She said the cuts take food away from families and children and pledged to work to ensure every family and child who qualifies for SNAP receives assistance if she is elected.
Congressman Scott Perry provided the decisive vote to pass legislation that cut nearly $200 billion from SNAP, taking food from hungry families and children. In just the past year, more than 200,000 Pennsylvanians have dropped off the program, including more than 60,000 children. I would work to ensure every family and child who needs and qualifies for SNAP assistance receives what they need to put food on the table.
CBS 21 also reached out to Perry’s team for comment and is awaiting a response.
