Food Pantry Resources During Government Shutdown

Posted October 31, 2025

Greetings, Families of Renaissance:

We know that the current Federal Shutdown and anticipated loss of benefits may be affecting your family. The following are some resources and updates that we share for awareness to support you. We will continue to update this list as other resources become available.

We also urge our families who can support others in times of need to consider opportunities such as our upcoming Thanksgiving meal drive and Holiday Program. We know the RA Community is strong and eager to lift one another up.

BACKPACK PROGRAM

Renaissance offers a weekend backpack program for all K-12 students. If you would like to sign up for the program, please reach out to your students’ grade-level counselor. Students in grades K-4 who participate in the program receive a bag with food items such as cereal or oatmeal, rice or pasta, beans or other vegetables, and other items. They are meant to be no more than 5 lbs. and should easily fit into your child's backpack. The Backpack Program is voluntary and offered at no cost. Your child would receive these items in their backpack on Thursday or Friday afternoons.

We also have a food shelf program available for 5th-12th grade students. The food shelf will be kept in a confidential location where students can choose food items to bring home each week, such as breakfast foods, healthy snacks, and heartier meal components. (rice, pasta, cereal bars, fruit, peanut butter, crackers, oatmeal, etc.) If you would like to participate in this program, please reach out to your grade level counselor.

Kinder -4thGrade Melissa Laurento melissa.laurento@rak12.org

5thGrade – 8thGrade Chante Allen chante.allen@rak12.org

9th-12thGrade Lisa Fleck lisa.fleck@rak12.org

Free and Reduced Meal Eligibility

***If your employment status has recently changed, use this link to complete an online application for meal benefits.

https://www.schoolcafe.com/

This program is also income-driven. If your student is already receiving meal benefits, there is no need to reapply.

BREAKFAST IS FREE FOR ALL STUDENTS — This will not be changed during the school year.

The Emergency Food Assistance Program

The United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, makes commodity foods available to State Distributing Agencies. States provide the food to local agencies that directly serve the public (food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, etc.). The local organizations distribute the food to eligible recipients for household consumption or use it to prepare and serve meals in a congregate setting. Recipients of food for home use must meet income and household eligibility criteria as seen below.

This is the link to the information on income requirements and application processes.

https://www.pa.gov/agencies/pda/food/food-assistance/the-emergency-food-assistance-program

Chester County

Chester County Food Bank

650 Pennsylvania Dr.

Exton, PA 19341

Phone: (610) 873-6000 Website: www.chestercountyfoodbank.org

PACS Phoenixville Community Services

https://www.pacsphx.org/

Montgomery County

SHARE Food Program Inc.

2901 W Hunting Park Ave