1982
Food Bank opens as Erie Community Food Bank in the Curtze Warehouse.
Erie Community Food Bank distributes 445,000 pounds of food to 40 agencies in the City of Erie.
Sister Augusta Hamel, OSB is named director of Erie Community Food Bank.

1983
Erie Community Food Bank moved to 1703 Ash Street to accommodate the increase of food donations.
Erie Community Food Bank becomes a member of America’s Second Harvest along with 39 other food banks across the United States.
Erie Community Food Bank increases its service area to serve those in need outside of Erie County.

1984
Computers are installed to handle inventory and agency orders.
Freezer space is expanded to accommodate storage of eight truckloads of food.

1985
A furnace is installed to heat the office area.
The Food Bank is recognized by Second Harvest National Food Bank Network as a national leader in food banking for computerized record keeping and a well equipped facility.

1986
A grant from the Erie Community Foundation allows the Food Bank to being a seven month long hunger study in Erie County.

1987
Results are released from the 1986 Hunger Study.
37,861 unduplicated persons from 15,471 unduplicated households in Erie County were served by emergency pantries and on-site meal programs.

1988
A bulk packaging machine was donated by the Erie Community Foundation to repackage thousand pound boxes of pasta and dry cereal into family-sized containers.

1989
The Food Bank receives a grant, allowing it to obtain 10,000 additional square feet of space in the warehouse to construct a reclamation center to store, sort and clean donated products.
Erie Community Food Bank hosted the first annual Bread Box Awards to recognize individuals and groups that organized food drives and fundraisers to benefit the food bank.

1990
Erie Community Food Bank changes its name to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania in order to better represent its service area.

1991
Second Harvest Food Bank of NW PA wins the Excellence Award from Second Harvest National Food Bank Network in recognition for outstanding accomplishments in Food Banking.

1992
The Food Bank observes 10 years of service.

1993
Suzanne Cascio succeeds Sister Augusta Hamel and is named the executive director of Second Harvest.

1994
Results are released from the most comprehensive hunger study ever completed on emergency feeding programs.
The study reveals that 10.4% of the population rely on food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters and other emergency feeding programs served by the Second Harvest Network.

1995
General Telephone & Electric Corporation begins the Telephone Directory Recycling Project.
The Food Bank coordinates recycling of phone books in return for a $6,000 donation from GTE.

1996
Second Harvest Food Bank of NW PA receives a grant from Nabisco Model Food Bank Award Program to produce a cookbook.
For every copy sold, one is donated to someone receiving food from a food pantry.
“A Taste of Erie,” a food sampling event, is held to demonstrate recipes from the cookbook.

2000
In partnership with Emmaus Ministries in Erie, Second Harvest opened the first Kids Café program in northwest Pennsylvania.

2001
Karen Seggi succeeded Suzane Cascio as executive director of Second Harvest.

2002
Second Harvest Food Bank of NW PA recognizes 20 years of serving those in need.

2006
Second Harvest Food Bank of NW PA conducts a study to determine the feasibility of purchasing a new building.
The Food Bank begins its yearly partnership with Times Old Newsies to deliver 2,400 holiday boxes of food in the month of December.

2007
The Food Bank becomes the lead agency for State Food Purchase and TEFAP Programs in Forest County.
Over 20 new agencies become members of Second Harvest Food Bank.
Second Harvest celebrates 25 years of service.

2008
Second Harvest moves to 1507 Grimm Drive, doubling the warehouse capacity and significantly increasing cooler and freezer space.
The Food Bank purchases it’s first semi truck.
The first Produce Express Mobile Delivery is conducted in Warren, PA.

2010
The Food Bank becomes the lead agency for State Food Purchase and TEFAP Programs in Clarion County.

2011
The Food Bank becomes the lead agency for State Food Purchase and TEFAP Programs in Jefferson County.
The BackPack Program is launched.

2014
Second Harvest Food Bank of NW PA purchases three new semi trucks to better its ability to deliver to member agencies.

2015
Second Harvest launches new logo and website.
The BackPack Program is expanded to feed extra students over Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks.

2016
Second Harvest announces Fill a Glass with Hope Program launch.
Military Share Program is launched to provide food for families of active military members and veterans.

2017
Second Harvest Food Bank of NW PA commemorates 35 years of filling empty plates.
The Food Bank conducts a volunteer area expansion project.
Second Harvest receives Charity Navigator’s 4-Star Charity Ranking for the 10th time.
Second Harvest partners with the Mid-Atlantic Regional Cooperative (MARC) in order to receive and distribute more fresh produce.

2018
Second Harvest Food Bank of NW PA creates and implements a new Strategic Plan to guide operations and progress throughout the next five years.
Second Harvest School Pantry Program is launched to provide a safe, familiar and comfortable place to students and their families to obtain food and other necessities.

2019
Second Harvest Food Bank of NW PA receives a grant to hire a SNAP Outreach Coordinator in order to aid individuals who are eligible to apply for and receive food assistance.
Second Harvest launches the Healthy Pantry Initiative.

2020
The Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) struck the US in December 2019 and by March 2020, it influenced every aspect of Second Harvest’s regular operation. Throughout the pandemic, Second Harvest never closed the doors.
In the months following the March 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, Second Harvest saw a 26 percent increase in need in the community.
From March to June 2020, on average, 10 semi-truckloads of food were delivered each week to keep up with the demand for food.
Second Harvest packed and distributed 37,255 Emergency COVID Relief Boxes.

2021
Second Harvest has been doing food rescue since 1982. We now rescue food from over 130 establishments and redistribute it to hunger relief agencies. As a partner with Feeding America, we are now using the online platform, MealConnect, to collaborate our efforts in food rescue.
In 2021, Second Harvest was able to rescue over 4,234,273 pounds of food from going into a landfill. About 15,668 pounds of food was rescued using the MealConnect application.
MealConnect helped Second Harvest recruit new food rescue agencies and real-time donors while providing its existing donor network with a new, quick, and easy way to donate surplus food at times most convenient for them.

2022
Second Harvest Food Bank of NW PA commemorates 40 years of filling empty plates.
The Food Bank becomes the lead agency for the State Food Purchase Program and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) in McKean County.
Charity Navigator awards Second Harvest a 4-Star Ranking for the 15th year in a row.
Second Harvest partners with the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation and plants apple, peach, and pear trees on warehouse property to provide fresh produce for our neighbors in need.
