The Panther Valley Blueprint Community Team is supporting ongoing efforts to combat food insecurity with donations to the regional food pantry based in the Panther Valley Elementary School in Nesquehoning.

The PV Blueprint team secured a grant from the First Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh to support the school-based food pantry and the more than 250 families it serves.

“Food insecurity in the Panther Valley is huge,” said PV Blueprint team spokeswoman Abbie Guardiani, noting a recent St. Luke’s University Health Network community health needs assessment showing how grave the issue is in the area.

The grant funded purchases to help families transport perishable items and the operations of the pantry, which has distributions on the third Wednesday of each month.

Among the purchases were reusable, insulated grocery totes for every family, 12 folding tables, which were badly needed for the pantry; commercial utility carts and a ticket system, similar to those found at area deli counters to ease long lines at the monthly distributions, Guardiani said.

Food insecurity remains a touchy issue in the area, said Nicole Pollinger, community school coordinator for St. Luke’s/Panther Valley Elementary School and one of the forces behind the pantry, which has seen the number of families served climb to over 300 depending on the month. Holiday distributions are often among the largest.

“The Panther Valley community is growing rapidly and hunger goes unnoticed due to pride,” she said. “By having our food pantry and the partners that support us allows our families, our neighbors, our colleagues, our community to be provided with the support that they need in a respectful, trustworthy environment that they can depend on.”

The donations, such as these, help improve the pantry and allow it run smoother for all those who rely upon the distributions each month, Pollinger said.

“When we see (the community) happy,” she said. “We are happy.”

Members of the PV Blueprint team also planned to be at the pantry’s holiday distributions in November and December to engage with members of the community, and find out what matters most to them as they formulate a redevelopment plan for the Panther Valley.

“Community engagement is by far the most important thing that our team can be doing at this moment,” said John Dowling, chair of the PV Blueprint team.

“Only with the input of the community will our redevelopment plan reflect the real goals and aspirations of all four boroughs that make up the Panther Valley,” he said.

Members of the PV Blueprint team asked community members to answer a simple, seven-question survey while they wait in line during the distribution.

The survey will help the team develop its plan for all of the Panther Valley — Nesquehoning, Summit Hill, Lansford and Coaldale.

The team also raised money to purchase holiday hams through the Second Harvest Food Bank, which supplies the school-based food pantry, which will be given to every family during the December food distribution.