The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank covers 27 counties from its Harrisburg headquarters, the largest single food bank service area in the state by geography. That stretch runs from the Harrisburg and York suburbs through the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians and smaller industrial cities, each with a different kind of need. Shila Ulrich leads the organization, having been named President in early 2026 as part of a planned succession and moving into the CEO role mid-year. It is a member of the Feeding America network.
The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank sources food at scale and distributes it across 27 counties through partner pantries and agencies, plus heavy use of mobile distributions. The geographic spread is the defining challenge: reaching rural Appalachian communities far from any fixed pantry takes a logistics operation built for distance, not just volume.
It runs programs for children and seniors and works closely with Pennsylvania agriculture, moving fresh produce from state growers into the emergency food system.
Shila Ulrich was named President in early 2026 after a national search and stepped into the CEO role mid-year as part of a planned leadership succession at the organization. The transition followed the long tenure of the previous chief executive, and it was structured to keep the Food Bank’s operations steady through the handover.
The 27-county service area is the largest in Pennsylvania by land area. It includes the Harrisburg and York metro suburbs, rural farming and Appalachian communities, and smaller cities. That mix means the Food Bank deals with suburban working poverty and deep rural isolation in the same week.
Yes. The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank is a registered 501(c)(3) and a Feeding America member. Donors can review its financials through Charity Navigator and GuideStar. Bulk buying and donated food mean gifts convert into many meals.
Donations and volunteer shifts run through centralpafoodbank.org. Volunteers sort and pack food and help at mobile distributions across the wide service area, and cash gifts go furthest because of the Food Bank’s purchasing power.
The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank covers the large middle of the state, Philabundance covers the Philadelphia region in the southeast, and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank covers the southwest. For anyone in the Harrisburg, York, Williamsport, or wider central PA region, this is the lead organization.
Pantries and agencies across 27 counties receive food.
A core tool for reaching rural communities far from pantries.
Fresh produce sourced from state growers into the food system.
Targeted food support for the groups hit hardest by hunger.
Sources: Central Pennsylvania Food Bank website (centralpafoodbank.org), and 2026 reporting from TheBurg, the Central Penn Business Journal, and ABC27 on the leadership succession. We are not affiliated with Central Pennsylvania Food Bank and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]
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