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Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank

EIN 22-2456238 · Sinking Spg, PA

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood71 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 1983, THE MISSION OF HELPING HARVEST FRESH FOOD BANK (HH) IS TO PROVIDE NUTRITIOUS FOOD TO PEOPLE FACING HUNGER IN OUR COMMUNITIES. IN 2024, HH DISTRIBUTED MORE THAN 10.5 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD TO LOW INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN BERKS AND SCHUYLKILL COUNTIES, FREE OF CHARGE. HH BEGAN ITS MATERNAL HEALTH PROGRAM AND OPENED ITS COMMUNITY KITCHEN. THE KITCHEN ALLOWS HH TO ACCEPT BULK FOOD DONATIONS AND PREPARE AN ESTIMATED 2,500 READY-TO-EAT MEALS WEEKLY.

Income
$26.1 million
Spending
$25.0 million
Spent on programs
96%
Reserves
2 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 58%
Employees
55
Volunteers
2,753
Highest pay
$219,397, president

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 71 out of 100.

  • Reserves

    10 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 2.0 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 17% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 4% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 9% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    96% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100.

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    18 of 18 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (4)
  1. $21.6 million spent. HELPING HARVEST FRESH FOOD BANK (HHFFB) DISTRIBUTES FOOD AND GROCERY PRODUCTS THROUGH A NETWORK OF OVER 350 PROGRAMS THAT ARE EXEMPT UNDER IRS 501 (C)(3).THESE PROGRAMS PROVIDE FOOD TO NEIGHBORS IN NEED THROUGH PANTRIES, SOUP KITCHENS, SNACK PROGRAMS, SHELTERS, MOBILE MARKETS, AND DIRECT SERVICE PROGRAMS. FOOD SUPPLIED BY HELPING HARVEST FOOD BANK PROVIDED 487,797 INDIVIDUALS AND 154,264 HOUSEHOLDS WITH FOOD FROM A PANTRY PROGRAM WHILE 1,309,535 MEALS (69,048 UNDUPLICATED MEALS) WERE PROVIDED AT SOUP KITCHENS, SNACK PROGRAMS AND SHELTER PROGRAMS. HELPING HARVEST FOOD BANK OPERATES A WAREHOUSE AND FLEET OF DISTRIBUTION VEHICLES AND EMPLOYS 43 INDIVIDUALS.
  2. $2.4 million spent. HELPING HARVEST (HH) WORKED WITH OUR CITY READING (OCR), A COMMUNITY BASED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, TO CONSTRUCT A COMMUNITY KITCHEN, WHICH OPENED IN APRIL 2025. HH RECEIVES FOOD PACKAGED IN BULK AND CONVERTS THAT FOOD INTO READY-TO-EAT MEALS PACKAGED, FROZEN, AND DISTRIBUTED PRIMARILY TO SENIORS THROUGHOUT OUR NETWORK OF COMMUNITY PROGRAMS. DURING THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2025, HH CONTINUED ITS FUNDRAISING EFFORTS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE KITCHEN, TRANSFERRING THOSE DONATIONS TO OCR. IN EXCHANGE FOR THE FUNDS RAISED, HH ENTERED INTO A LONG-TERM LEASE WITH OCR WITH NO RENTAL PAYMENTS. HH MAKES MONTHLY PAYMENTS OF $3/SQ FT OF LEASED AREA TO OCR FOR COMMON AREA MAINTENANCE COSTS.
  3. $152,523 spent. THROUGH HH' S MANAGEMENT OF THE COMMODITY SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD PROGRAM, 2,193 LOW INCOME SENIOR CITIZENS LIVING IN BERKS AND SCHUYLKILL COUNTIES RECEIVE A TOTE FILLED WITH NUTRITIONAL FOOD EVERY MONTH. THIS PACKAGE CONTAINS FOOD OF HIGH NUTRITIONAL VALUE AND IS A SUPPLEMENT FOR THE SENIOR CITIZENS DIETS. EACH MONTH THE HHFFB DELIVERS THE PREPACKAGED TOTES TO MORE THAN 100 DISTRIBUTION LOCATIONS INCLUDING LOW INCOME SENIOR HIGH RISES.
  4. $2,632 spent. HELPING HARVEST FRESH FOOD BANK DEVELOPS AND SUPPLIES THE RESOURCES NEEDED FOR OPERATION OF THE WEEKENDER PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES A WEEKLY BAG OF SHELF-STABLE PRODUCT TO HELP MEET THE GAP BETWEEN THE FREE AND REDUCED MEALS THAT FOOD INSECURE CHILDREN RECEIVE IN THEIR K-12 SCHOOLS. ENROLLMENT IN THE PROGRAM IS CONDUCTED AT THE SCHOOL BY A DESIGNATED STAFF MEMBER (TEACHER, COUNSELOR, SOCIAL WORKER, NURSE) WHO IDENTIFIES STUDENTS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE. HELPING HARVEST FOOD BANK SUPPORTS 87 WEEKENDER PROGRAM SITES THROUGHOUT BERKS AND SCHUYLKILL COUNTIES BY PROVIDING THE FOOD AND GROCERY PRODUCTS NEEDED TO FILL AN AVERAGE OF 4,400 BAGS WEEKLY.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since August 1983.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.