Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank joined community leaders and state officials Thursday to celebrate the opening of its new Community Kitchen in downtown Reading, a facility designed to expand meal production, rescue bulk food donations, and offer culinary job training.
The Helping Harvest Community Kitchen (HHCK) is the nonprofit’s second location, producing frozen, heat-and-eat ready meals for people in need in Berks and Schuylkill counties. The facility also allows the organization to accept and repackage bulk food donations that previously could not be distributed.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony, held in coordination with the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance, featured remarks from Jay Worrall, president of Helping Harvest; Jim Boscov, chairman of Our City Reading; Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding; and Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Deputy Secretary Rick Vilello. State Representative Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz presented a certificate to mark the occasion. Attendees toured the kitchen and sampled refreshments prepared by the Helping Harvest culinary team.
The project received $459,000 through DCED’s Neighborhood Assistance Program, part of Governor Josh Shapiro’s initiative to revitalize communities and expand workforce training. The funding will help support culinary training for individuals leaving incarceration, rehabilitation programs, or otherwise in need of job skills.
“Helping Harvest’s community kitchen is a shining example of how Pennsylvania’s agriculture fuels not only our economy but also strengthens our communities,” Redding said. “By transforming fresh farm products into nutritious meals and providing hands-on culinary training, this project addresses food insecurity while opening doors to meaningful career opportunities.”
Worrall said the kitchen represents years of planning and broad community support. “Every day I walk into work absolutely amazed that we pulled it off,” he said. “The reality is even better than anything I could have ever imagined, and I know this kitchen will have a positive impact on our community for years to come.”
Planning for the HHCK began in 2019 after Worrall visited similar facilities in the region. Construction started in May 2024, with meal production beginning in April 2025.
The kitchen includes state-of-the-art cooking and packaging equipment, multiple storage areas, two packaging lines, and space for both small and large-scale operations. It also has meeting rooms, a classroom with views into the kitchen, and offices for Helping Harvest staff, including client services. Two daily volunteer shifts work alongside chefs to prepare thousands of meals each week.
In the future, Helping Harvest plans to partner with Reading Area Community College to offer for-credit culinary training, furthering its mission to combat food insecurity while fostering job readiness.
Helping Harvest is a partner food bank of Feeding America and serves more than 350 partners in Berks and Schuylkill counties. In 2024, the organization distributed over $20 million worth of food to residents in need.
