From $25K Goal to $45K Raised — Help Push Centre County Past $50K+

STATE COLLEGE, Pa., Nov. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- What began as a $25,000 local-business challenge quickly surged past expectations, with Giv Local and Valhalla Business Advisors jump-starting the effort through matching $5,000 pledges. Their leadership helped propel early commitments to $45,000 raised in matching funds, giving donors the opportunity to make an even bigger impact through dollar-for-dollar matching this holiday season. With need continuing to rise across Centre County, the State College Food Bank is now calling on the broader community to help push total giving past $50,000—or even double the match to $90,000 and beyond—to support families facing urgent food insecurity.

Why now — November 2025: the situation is urgent

• In Centre County and across Central Pennsylvania, the food-insecurity rate continues climbing—rising from 11.3% in 2022 to 12.5% in 2023 across the region. The trend remains upward as inflation, housing-cost pressure, and social-safety-net disruptions converge.
  
  
• Many Centre County residents continue to face instability in SNAP support, creating ongoing gaps in access to essential food resources and driving higher demand at the State College Food Bank.
  
  
• Local pantry reports indicate increases in households served in recent months—from around 450 per month toward 650—reflecting a winter stretch early in the season.
  
  
• With federal assistance levels fluctuating and holiday-related expenses rising, the SCFB is preparing for a significant uptick in need this November and December. Ensuring shelves are stocked now is essential for supporting families facing uncertainty.

"We're hearing that the weeks ahead will be the most challenging our neighbours have faced in a long time," said Sam Buckley, co-founder of Giv Local. "That's why we're stepping in early—so Centre County isn't caught off guard."

"This early leadership ensures we're ready for the surge ahead," said Allayn Beck, Executive Director of the State College Food Bank. "This pledge from Giv Local and Valhalla shows what our community can do when we step up together."

Founding Relief Partners

• Giv Local — $5,000
• Valhalla Business Advisors — $5,000
• Kish Bank - $5,000
• Anonymous Donor – $25,000
• Urish Popeck – $2,500
• McQuaide Blasko – $2,500

How the community can step up

Everyone in Centre County can make a direct donation via: https://scfoodbank.org/donate/financial-donations. The State College Food Bank will issue tax-deductible donation receipts, ensuring donors receive proper documentation.

When you give, you provide more than hunger relief. Your support makes it possible for struggling individuals and families to afford other basic necessities like housing, medicine, and utilities during one of the hardest times of the year. It enables the State College Food Bank to share its resources throughout the county, making it easier for residents in surrounding areas to get the help they need. And at our busiest time of year, your generosity ensures that neighbors facing hardship have access to more fresh, nutritious food in a welcoming, dignified atmosphere.

About Giv Local

Giv Local is a community-centered payments and fundraising platform that helps local businesses and banks channel everyday transactions into meaningful local impact.

About the State College Food Bank

Founded in 1982, The State College Food Bank has a mission to provide food security, directly or indirectly, to people in Centre County, thus ensuring that no one in Centre County goes hungry. We are committed to making our community a better place through our mission and programs, and our primary focus is to ensure access to healthy and nutritious food for anyone who is in need of our support and assistance.

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SOURCE Giv Local