The State College Food Bank has provided services to clients since October 1982, operating out of the basement of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church on Fraser Street as a temporary solution to a temporary need. As the need grew, so did the Food Bank. Although the Food Bank was grateful for all that St. Andrew's Episcopal Church had done to create and host the Food Bank, the demands were too much for the small space provided.
In 2007, the Food Bank moved from St. Andrew's to Hamilton Square Plaza. This was a temporary solution until the Board of Directors could find a permanent, larger facility. Due to the limited space at Hamilton Square, the Food Bank rented a separate storage facility at the Nittany Mall. This presented challenges of moving products back and forth between the facilities. In addition, food would sometimes become outdated since it was difficult to keep up with the sorting and organization of products stored there. Seven years later, the board found the answer at 1321 South Atherton Street. In March 2014, the Food Bank moved from Hamilton Square to Atherton Street. The larger facility enabled the Food Bank to initiate the "Client Choice" model of distribution. Client Choice allows clients to choose the groceries that they will consume.
Determined to meet the growing needs of our community, the State College Food Bank moved to a new facility at 169 Gerald Street in March 2024. At approximately 18,000 square feet, the new building essentially doubles the current operating space and features a loading dock, a larger walk-in freezer and refrigerator space, dry storage, and produce-prep and food-sorting areas, greatly enhancing our capacity to fulfill our mission.
