Food Pantry Volunteering in Renovo, PA

Renovo sits well up the West Branch Susquehanna, 28 miles northwest of Lock Haven and a good drive from most of the county's grocery options. When money is tight, that distance matters. The Good Neighbor Center, run by the Renovo Council of Churches, has been closing that gap for years, and it runs on people who show up to sort, pack, and hand out food. If you have a few hours once a month, they can use you.

What does the Good Neighbor Center do?

The Good Neighbor Center is a community food pantry operated by the Renovo Council of Churches on St. Clair Avenue. It provides food to about 20 percent of Renovo's residents, with many senior citizens among them, and the share climbs through the harder winter months. Renovo is a borough of just over a thousand people, so that comes out to a couple hundred neighbors.

The center has a building of its own because it slowly earned one. It bought a parish house from Trinity Episcopal Church, and grant money helped finish the plumbing, heating, and electrical work to make the space usable. Later funding paid for a better wheelchair ramp, more shelving, and extra refrigerators and freezers so the pantry could start offering milk, frozen foods, and fresh produce instead of only canned and boxed goods.

Pastor Richard Colvin summed up the operation when one of those grants came through in 2018: "Thanks to our many volunteers from this community and the generous support of the Dominion Foundation, we are able to help many of our neighbors." The volunteers come first in that sentence for a reason.

Where does the pantry's food come from?

A few directions at once. The Good Neighbor Center is one of four Clinton County pantries that receive food through the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, alongside the Lock Haven Salvation Army, St. Paul's Food Pantry, and the Sugar Valley Lions. The Clinton County Community Foundation approves a grant each year so the food bank can buy and distribute food to those local agencies. The food bank itself is a big operation. It covers 27 counties and moved 69 million pounds of food into the region in 2023, and a slice of that ends up on folding tables in Renovo.

Dominion Energy has been a steady funder too. The company gave the center $15,500 in 2018, its fourth straight year of support, and another $15,000 in 2019. Those checks bought fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat on top of the building improvements, and Dominion has also sent employees to help unload the food truck each month.

The rest comes from closer to home. Local food drives keep the shelves topped up between deliveries, and helping organize or collect for a drive is a real way in if you cannot make the monthly distribution.

When does the pantry hand out food?

The Good Neighbor Center's community distribution runs on the third Thursday of the month. That is the day the pantry serves families directly, so it is the busiest stretch for volunteers and the easiest window to plug into if you want to help on the front line. Prep work happens in the days leading up to it too.

Because the schedule is regular, you can plan around it. Some volunteers come every month, some fill in when they can. If you want to know exactly what time to arrive on a given Thursday, contact the Good Neighbor Center directly through the Renovo Council of Churches. The number published in local coverage is (570) 923-2362. Days and times can shift with the season or a holiday, and the organizers are the ones who know for sure.

What do food pantry volunteers actually do?

Most of the work is straightforward and physical. Volunteers unload deliveries, sort food, and pack it into boxes ahead of distribution day. When the food truck arrives, having extra people to unload it saves a lot of time.

The distribution The Express covered in April 2020 shows what the day looks like at full tilt. Nearly two dozen volunteers worked more than two hours without a break and got food boxes to 116 area households. Cars lined up along three streets while Renovo police officer Victor Foley kept traffic moving, and volunteers carried boxes straight to open trunks so nobody had to leave the car. Box sizes varied by household, so someone kept count of who needed what. That is a lot of boxes, and none of it moves without hands to move it. The drive-up format keeps lines moving and works well for seniors and anyone with limited mobility.

Behind the handout there is quieter work that keeps the whole thing running. Volunteer Nora Jesberger pointed at it when she told the paper, "Our leaders are so organized, Barb Allen does the ordering and Annie Scrimshaw is in charge of stocking the pantry." Ordering, stocking, and menu planning are volunteer jobs too. If lifting is hard for you, there is a spot at a table or with a clipboard instead, and there is greeting to be done on distribution day.

Who can volunteer, and how do you start?

Anyone local who wants to help can pitch in. There is no special training to sort cans or carry boxes, and the regulars will show you how the day runs. Reliability matters more than experience: because distribution lands on one Thursday a month, the center needs people who will actually turn up when they say they will.

To get started, reach out to the Good Neighbor Center through the Renovo Council of Churches and tell them you would like to volunteer. This is a directory, so we point you to the organization rather than signing you up ourselves. You contact them directly, and they will tell you what day to come and what they need most. You can also check our current openings to see whether the pantry or another Renovo group has posted a specific need.

Other ways to help around Renovo

Food is one piece of it. If pantry work is not your thing, Renovo has other roles that need filling. The town depends heavily on volunteer firefighter and EMS roles in Renovo, which are a serious commitment but deeply needed in a place this remote. The Heritage Park museum and the rec center need hands too; our guide to recreation and heritage volunteering in Renovo covers both. You can see the wider picture in our full Renovo volunteering guide, and browse all volunteer opportunities in Renovo in one place.

If you split your time between here and the county seat of Lock Haven, there is food pantry volunteering across the county to consider too. For the bigger view of pitching in near home, our overview of volunteering across Clinton County is a good next read.

Volunteer Clinton County is free to use, always, for both residents and the organizations listed here. We do not charge the Good Neighbor Center to appear, and we do not charge you to find them.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Good Neighbor Center food pantry open?

The Good Neighbor Center's community food distribution runs on the third Thursday of the month on St. Clair Avenue in Renovo. Prep and packing happen in the days before. Exact times can change around holidays, so contact the pantry through the Renovo Council of Churches to confirm the current schedule before you plan to come.

Do I need experience to volunteer at the food pantry?

No. Sorting food, packing boxes, and staffing the handout take no special training, and longtime volunteers will show you the routine on your first day. What the center needs most is people who show up reliably, since the main distribution happens just once a month on a set Thursday.

Where does the Good Neighbor Center get its food?

Through several channels. The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank supplies it as one of four Clinton County partner pantries, with annual funding from the Clinton County Community Foundation. Grants from partners like Dominion Energy have paid for fresh produce and meat, and local food drives fill the gaps. Volunteers handle the ordering, unloading, and stocking that turn all of it into full boxes.

How do I sign up to volunteer in Renovo?

Contact the Good Neighbor Center directly through the Renovo Council of Churches and say you want to help. Volunteer Clinton County is a directory, so we connect you to the organization rather than scheduling you. You can also check our opportunities page for any specific pantry or drive needs posted in Renovo.