The New Love Center, located at 229 South Broad St., Jersey Shore will continue its work thanks to a new Mobile Food Pantry.

The nonprofit organization, which fights to end hunger in Clinton and Lycoming Counties, hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony and blessing of the new mobile service recently.

“Our plan is to travel to more remote areas of Clinton and Lycoming counties and meet people where they are,” stated a release from The New Love Center.

During the ceremony, The New Love Center gave thanks to its sponsors and partners, some of which were present.

“When we started eight years ago, our ambition was to feed folks in the Jersey Shore and Clinton County up to Woolrich. As food insecurity continued, The New Love Center was approached by Geisinger, to partner with them in a pilot project for their food insecure and diabetic clients,” said Alice Fox, president of The New Love Food Bank during the ribbon cutting ceremony. “Out of that pilot came the fresh food pharmacy. So many diabetics have seen an improvement in their medical condition. …Of course along came the pandemic and another opportunity to serve. We saw an enormous opportunity to feed folks from other areas.”

“It’s just evolved. And so our cafe has been in existence since we started The New Love Center, giving nutritious meals five days a week. Currently we are serving over 1,000 meals a month. A lot of people are being fed,” Fox said.

Joe Arther, executive director of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, was present and spoke during Tuesday’s ribbon cutting ceremony.

“We are at some of the highest levels of need, historically,” Arther said. “I’m thankful for what’s happening here today, because this is an example of The New Love Center, reaching out again and finding other ways to serve people in areas where there might not be enough service. And I know those challenges are not easy. We are so proud to serve and to invest in our partners.”

“It takes a little bit of money, a little bit of planning. Here we are. We got the trailer, and we got a truck and got food. We are so blessed, so blessed. I just can’t say enough about that,” Fox said.

The programs provided by TNLC are The Food Pantry, The Cafe, Fresh Food Farmacy (a partnership with Geisinger), Military Shares, Elder Share, The PB&J Program and the Backpack Program.

The New Love Center sponsors include Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), C&N Bank, Jersey Shore State Bank, M&T Bank, Muncy Bank & Trust Company and the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.

“Individually and collectively, they have been instrumental in helping those in need bridge the food gap; a gap which has become more prevalent and disruptive to populations who are food insecure,” the release stated.

The first launch site for the food truck will be at Geisinger medical center in Muncy, some time in mid-April.

For updates, follow The New Love Center on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thenewlovecenter or find their website at www.thenewlovecenter.com.