While touring a shelter at Columbia Presbyterian Church last year, Tony Lewis had an aha moment.

"We walked through downstairs, and they said, 'This is the Power Packs area,' and I was like, 'What's a Power Pack?'" Tony recalled. "And that's how it started."

Tony and his wife, Helen, soon learned more about the Power Packs Project, a Lancaster-based nonprofit that provides free food and a recipe for a meal weekly to families in need.

They were determined to bring the program across the river, and in March 2023, Power Packs began supporting students in Eastern York School District.

Still, the couple was not content to stop there. They expanded the program to include The Giving Table, supplementing the Power Pack distribution. Along with bags of food, Power Pack families can choose nonperishable food and other items from the table when they pick up their packs.

"This is God's work," Tony shared. "This is what we should be doing."

When he says "we," he means it. The work of Power Packs and The Giving Table is truly a community effort.

Currently, Power Packs are distributed at four sites in Eastern York School District: Trinity United Church of Christ in Hellam, East Prospect Community Center, Wrightsville Presbyterian Church and a new site at Christ Church Yorkana. The latter replaces the distribution at Mount Pisgah Trinity Church in Wrightsville.

Numerous community organizations and businesses support the project, including Flinchbaugh's Orchard & Farm Market, which often provides fresh fruit for The Giving Table; Perrydell Farm and Dairy, which supplies milk; Susquehanna Dodge, which picks up Power Packs in Lancaster and brings the food to York; John Wright Restaurant, which holds fundraisers for the project; and many others.

The need for Power Packs and The Giving Table is great in York County, Tony said.

According to "A Seat at the Table," a report evaluating the charitable food system in York County, Eastern York falls into the "red zone," indicating the highest level of food insecurity and the lowest level of food distribution.

"I had no idea about food insecurity here," Tony said. "This is Eastern York. It's a nice little place. I was like, 'What do you mean there's kids who are hungry?'"

That sentiment is echoed by Tom Barrett, who has helped to bring Power Packs and The Giving Table to Christ Church.

"We don't always see the people who are in need of food," he said. "We want to raise awareness. We want to ask, 'Are there more opportunities to help? Are there more things we can do?'"

With that in mind, Tony was not content to stop at Power Packs and The Giving Table. He helped the organization obtain a grant from WellSpan that provides cooking classes for children and their caregivers. The first class, for children ages 6 to 8, was held in late October, and classes will continue through the school year.

"When we originally started this mission, it wasn't just about feeding people," Tony stated. "It's the idea of, you give them a fish today, teach them how to fish tomorrow. What we're trying to do is self-help programs."

In the first class, participants made "prairie sushi" wraps. The WellSpan grant also provided funds to purchase signs promoting healthy eating which change monthly and are displayed in the school cafeterias. Plans are also in the works to begin health and fitness classes.

"The focus from day one has been making long-term, long-lasting changes," Tony said. "We want to offer life skills training."

For Tom, having Power Packs and The Giving Table at Christ Church offers an ideal way to fulfill the church's mission.

"I love the local ministry aspect of this," Tom said. "We've always been a very giving church, supporting dozens of missions throughout the area and internationally, but it's primarily been financial donations. I love the fact that our church can now be more hands and feet on the ground, meeting the needs of the people here locally."

Tony emphasized that Eastern York School District has been a very supportive partner for the project, and he's passionate about all of the community partnerships the effort has created.

"God's blessed us the entire time," he said, noting that whenever they've needed funding or program partners, their needs have been met. "We have a great list of people supporting us, and we are excited to welcome anyone else who wants to help."

For more information on efforts in Eastern York School District, contact christchurch5main@gmail.com. For more information about Power Packs, visit http://www.powerpacksproject.org.