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WILKES-BARRE — The Keystone Mission charity quietly distributed more than 20,000 pounds of food Wednesday to 425 local families in need.
Austin Shission, volunteer and special event coordinator, said it was the largest food distribution the group has done since the program began in August.
“If a family is in need, they can come here and get some food,” Shission said. “Depending on the size of the family, we provide around 60 pounds of food to each.”
Shission said the Mission receives the donated food from the Commission on Economic Opportunity. He said the first distribution served just under 100 families and has quickly grown to 425 this month.
Shission said recipients must pre-register and can do so at the Mission, or on Facebook, or at keystonemission.org/produce-market/.
“We do this every third Wednesday of every month,” Shission said. “We just saw a need for this program. The recipients can be a neighbor, a friend, anybody who is experiencing hardship during the current economy.”
Shission said the Keystone Mission’s Mobile Food Pantry distributes food that includes fresh fruits, meats and vegetables in addition to canned goods, milk and dairy products.
“The recipients are very appreciative of it,” Shission said. “We have found that people of low income can’t afford the fresh food items.”
The Mission is on Parkview Circle off Coal Street.
It can be reached at 570-871-4795.
According to its Facebook page, it aims to “provide help and hope to the homeless, hungry and hurting people in Northeast Pa.”
On Wednesday night, it was also offering food without pre-registration to government employees who have not been receiving paychecks due to the shutdown.