Sen. Elder Vogel, Jr. (R-47) led the charge against food insecurity in Pennsylvania as he stood with lawmakers and industry leaders to continue to spread awareness about hunger across the commonwealth.
“Today, food insecurity continues to affect over a million Pennsylvanians including over 400,000 children, with many families having to make difficult financial decisions to afford their bills or to put food on the table,” Vogel said. “Access to quality food is essential for individual and family health, which is why it continues to be my priority to support responsible solutions put forward to best benefit residents experiencing food insecurity.”
Vogel co-chairs the Legislative Hunger Caucus with state Rep. Emily Kinkead (D-20), and authored Senate Resolution 143 designating September 2025 as Hunger Action Month in Pennsylvania.
Sen. Judy Schwank (D-11), a member of the Hunger Caucus and who serves as the minority chair of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, joined Vogel to share her perspective on the importance of Hunger Action Month.
“Hunger is affecting one in eight Pennsylvanians in communities across our commonwealth,” Schwank said. “Hunger Action Month is a reminder that this is an issue we can and must address together. The Legislative Hunger Caucus is doing its part to ensure we don’t lose sight of the needs of Pennsylvanians who are going without meals and to address those needs through legislation.”
PA Department of Agriculture Bureau of Food Assistance Director Caryn Long Earl promoted departmental programs focused on providing access to fresh food for residents as well as discussed their continued collaborations with food bank networks statewide.
“Hunger is not just caused by poverty, but often by lack of access to fresh, healthy food close to home,” Long Earl said. “Pennsylvania is working to increase access to fresh food in both rural and urban communities where the nearest farm market or grocery store is out of reach. Through strong partnerships with the network of Feeding Pennsylvania and Hunger-Free Pennsylvania foodbanks statewide, the Shapiro Administration connects Pennsylvanians who are at risk of hunger with fresh, healthy food from local farms. The Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System, the State Food Purchase Program, the Farmers Market Nutrition Program, and a full menu of other grants and programs like the Fresh Food Financing Program all increase our collective capacity to feed families and support farmers. We are working together to remove barriers to access, and to keep our commitment to fighting hunger in Pennsylvania year-round and we hope you’ll join us by volunteering at your local foodbank or pantry and by raising your voice to support these investments.”
Other speakers included PA Department of Human Services Executive Deputy Secretary Andrew Barnes; Central Pennsylvania Food Bank CEO Shila Ulrich and Feeding Pennsylvania CEO Julie Bancroft.
In addition to spreading awareness about hunger in the commonwealth, the Hunger Caucus is also in charge of overseeing the Capitol Hunger Garden. The garden has been in operation since 2010 and has been maintained by volunteers, Penn State Master Gardeners, and the Department of General Services. Hundreds of pounds of produce continue to be donated to Downtown Daily Bread who in turn provides hearty meals to the homeless in the Harrisburg area.
To view the full press conference, click here.
