Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) is announcing the inclusion of $250,000 in congressionally directed spending for the Commission on Economic Opportunity’s food bank expansion project in the Senate Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. The Commission on Economic Opportunity will use the funding for an expansion of the Weinberg Regional Food Bank in Jenkins Township. The project includes a 15,000 square foot addition and will help meet the need for food assistance in the region.
“COVID-19 exacerbated a food insecurity crisis that has left too many families worried about where their next meal will come from,” said Senator Casey. “The Commission on Economic Opportunity is reducing hunger with their Weinberg Regional Food Bank and, with this funding, will be able to provide assistance to even more families in the region. I applaud their work and I will continue to work to pass this spending bill to bring home critical resources to Luzerne County.”
“During these difficult times we are going through and in order to provide food to so many new people in need, we are looking to expand our Food Bank, and we are so grateful for Senator Casey’s support to enable us to move forward with this important project. We know that this will help thousands of people in need throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania and ensure that they will not go hungry,” said Gene Brady, CEO at the Commission on Economic Opportunity.
On August 2, 2021, the FY22 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill was reported out of Committee on a vote of 25 to 5.
