Local nonprofit leaders and community members came together to listen to Loft Community Partnership Executive Director, Jenna Graeff, share the organization’s data collection of the Penn Manor community and updated strategic plan during its April 25 breakfast.
The Loft Community Partnership is a Penn Manor based nonprofit focused on improving access to essential resources like food and clothing, supporting families and the community through education and partnerships.
Graeff stated that when she first got involved with the organization she became an observer and examined what the community needed. She saw as the community continued to grow and change, it became more difficult for families to access resources such as food. This made social workers spend large amounts of time finding food for families.
This prompted the organization to improve access to resources matching people’s needs without having an excessive amount of paperwork. “It’s a jungle out there. Just to get your food, just to get housing, just to have your basic needs met. It is a scavenger hunt, and it should not be that way.” Said Graeff.
As it continues to meet the needs of the Penn Manor community, the organization has grown into two buildings. It moved to Jefferson Hall in September, temporarily as it search for a permanent space . The organization partnered with Zion Church of Millersville, to provide a clothing shop for families and support services for ESL (English as a Second Language) families in the churches Parish House which is set to open this month.
Graeff expressed how education is a core part of the organization’s mission, highlighting its three steps, “engage, educate and empower.” This sparked the initiative of the organization’s first conference in February, which gathered community members and partners to gain insight into the organization’s mission and its effect on the local community.
Graeff provided statistics of the families that receive assistance from the organization. Of these families, 400 are below the federal poverty guidelines. According to Graeff, the Penn Manor School District currently has 5,392 students. To apply for free and reduced lunch, families must apply each year. An elementary school lunch cost families $432 per student per year; and a secondary lunch costs $675 per student per year. The organization launched a summer lunch program in 2024 to help the students that rely on free and reduced lunch.
One of Loft’s partners, The Central PA Food Bank, led a portion of the presentation about its hunger mapping research. Zack Zook, vice presidents of impact and policy, explained the organization, in collaboration with about 50 partners around Lancaster County, conducted hunger mapping research, which revealed food insecurity in Pennsylvania has increased by 30% in the last two years.
According to the data, Lancaster County has about 56,000 people that face food insecurity, with rates rising from 8.7% to 10.1%. Nearly 12.3 % of children are food insecure. The southern and southeastern sections of the County have limited access to charitable food providers, with many areas having only one or fewer pantries. This influenced the Loft to open on Saturdays, which has had a positive impact for the organization.
The Food Bank and its partners have launched the, Community Hunger Mapping Bold Grant, which spreads $150,000 to pantries across Lancaster, Lebanon and Cumberland counties to reduce the rates of food insecurity.
