Friend Inc Community Services

For over five decades, Friend, Inc. Community Services has been the cornerstone of support for individuals and families facing food insecurity and temporary household economic challenges throughout the Kutztown community and greater northeast Berks County region. Our organization has grown from humble beginnings into a vital network of emergency assistance, food distribution, and community-based services that touch the lives of hundreds of individuals and families every month. Yet as our community has evolved and economic pressures have intensified, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment where our current facilities no longer adequately serve the expanding needs of those who depend on us most.

The need for a new community-centered building has never been more urgent. Our current facilities limit our ability to provide comprehensive, coordinated services under one roof, creating barriers for the individuals and families we serve who must navigate multiple locations for different programs. A centralized hub will revolutionize our service delivery by housing our food pantry operations, emergency assistance programs, administrative offices, community meeting spaces, and expand our collaborative agency partnerships in a single, fully accessible facility designed specifically for our mission. This new building will feature expanded cold storage and warehouse capacity, flexible program spaces that can adapt to diverse community needs, and welcoming common areas where neighbors can access resources with dignity while building meaningful connections with their peers.

Our $1,800,000 capital campaign represents more than just bricks and mortar—it embodies our commitment to dignity, stability, and community support for every person we serve. This investment will enable us to expand our food distribution capacity, creating new pathways to food security and economic stability for families in crisis. The building will also serve as a community resource, hosting financial literacy workshops, job readiness programs, and community events that strengthen neighborhood connections and provide pathways out of poverty. Every dollar raised will directly impact the quality of life for our participants, from the young family navigating their first economic crisis to the longtime community member facing unexpected hardship.

The success of this campaign depends on visionary leaders who recognize that investing in anti-poverty services strengthens the entire fabric of our community. We are seeking transformational gifts from individuals and organizations who share our belief that everyone deserves access to basic necessities and the opportunity to achieve economic stability. With leadership gifts of $150,000, substantial investments of $50,000 and $25,000, and community support at the $5,000 level, we will create a lasting legacy that serves generations to come. This is more than a fundraising campaign—it is an invitation to join us in building a more equitable community where every person has access to the resources they need to thrive.