Photo submitted to Times Observer Columbia Gas Manager of Government and Public Affairs Scott Waitlevertch presents a check to Second Harvest Food Bank Marketing and Media Coordinator Natalie Massing on Friday at the Columbia facility at Musante Street.

Food pantries, soup kitchens, and other anti-hunger programs in the region received a major boost on Friday.

Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, through NiSource Foundation, presented $20,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank at Columbia’s Musante Street location.

Columbia’s Manager of Government and Public Affairs Scott Waitlevertch presented the check to Second Harvest Marketing and Media Coordinator Natalie Massing.

“Columbia Gas is committed to the safety of our customers and the communities we serve, and the Second Harvest Food Bank is an invaluable community resource that ensures people are safe by providing food to those in need,”Waitlevertch said. “We hope this donation helps the food bank create awareness and educate the community on the realities of hunger across northwest Pennsylvania.”

The Second Harvest Food Bank supplies food to other anti-hunger nonprofit organizations in 11 counties of northwest Pennsylvania, including Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, McKean, Venango and Warren counties,

Massing said. “Every dollar donated to the food bank equals six meals for a person in need.”

“Second Harvest is the largest nonprofit food distribution in northwest Pennsylvania and the only food bank in the region,” she said. “We are grateful to receive this $20,000 grant that will help us to provide much needed food to our 414 member agencies.”

“Agencies that will benefit from this substantial donation include food pantries, soup kitchens, Produce Express mobile food pantries, Military Share, School Pantries, BackPack Program sites, Kids Cafes, Senior Box sites and emergency shelters,” Massing said.