Solanco Neighborhood Ministries

The Solanco Food Bank began in 1990 in the basement of a local church in Quarryville, PA. As community needs grew, it became clear that in addition to the food bank there was a need for a community hub, a central place for families in the southern end to share their struggles and meet with someone who could help. In 2012, the Solanco Pastor’s Fellowship created Solanco Neighborhood Ministries (SNM) to help under-resourced families meet the basic needs of food, clothing, housing, and utilities. Today, the ministry continues to meet basic needs and has expanded to help families build social capital, become financially stable, and get connected to local and county-wide resources.

Solanco Neighborhood Ministries (SNM) is a faith-based, 501(c)(3) organization committed to meeting the needs of our food insecure and under-resourced neighbors. SNM’s service area includes the entire Solanco School District and parts of Penn Manor and Lampeter-Strasburg school districts. The areas SNM serves are considered moderate-high food insecurity areas according to the Hunger Free Mapping Project report, 2023.

In October 2022, SNM opened its doors in a new location, providing walkability and easier access for individuals/families in need. This new location allows the ministry to expand existing services and create new ones.

SNM assists with basic food, clothing, housing, and utility needs. The food bank is SNM’s largest program, providing a choice pantry to families, a daily self-serve lobby, a supplemental monthly food distribution, a weekend meals program that serves 310 local students each week, a summer meals program for these students and their families, holiday meals, and more. SNM has a heat match program, supporting individuals with matching funds up to $300 to offset fuel expenses. SNM also has (limited) funds available to assist with housing, utilities, and work-related expenses. SNM has two Resource Advocates who meet with individuals experiencing higher-level needs, such as homelessness, eviction, utility shut-off notices, domestic violence, etc. One-on-one budget counseling helps neighbors make better financial decisions, reduce debt, and plan and save for the future.

SNM further provides programs and workshops to help our neighbors grow and become more socially connected. Examples include community workshops, cooking classes, bible and book studies, Pastor’s Office Hours, and more. Today, more than 40 local churches and 140 volunteers collect food, raise money, and share their time and talents to support the ministry.

Examples of how your gift can be used:

• $25- the cost of providing families with toiletries and cleaning supplies
• $35- the cost of providing weekend meals for 5 local students
• $50- the cost of providing a holiday meal for a local family
• $140- the cost of providing weekend meals to 20 local students
• $190- the cost of providing a food order to a family of 4
• $300- the cost of providing a fuel match to help a family with heating oil, propane, or electric.
• $560- the average monthly cost to keep the lights on and the coolers running at the ministry/food bank
• $1800- the average yearly cost to help one family with food orders, holiday meals, heat, Resource Advocate services, financial counseling, and more.