Salvation Army lieutenant outlines food, shelter and youth services for North Lebanon; day camp, client-choice pantry expanding

Lieutenant Richard Mahinda of the Salvation Army briefed the Lebanon City Council on May 27 about local programs addressing food insecurity, emergency aid and youth services in northern Lebanon.

"We the location where we are located, that's North Of Lebanon," Mahinda said, noting a Central PA Food Bank/Feeding America hunger-mapping index that identified North Lebanon as having the highest food insecurity in Lebanon County. He said the Salvation Army started a client-choice pantry in September, now open Tuesdays and Thursdays, and that the pantry serves roughly 200'50 families monthly and is approaching about 300 this month.

Mahinda described several programs: a free noon meal program Wednesdays with no questions asked; a senior box program delivered via DoorDash through the Central PA Food Bank; an Emergency Disaster Services canteen run by volunteers; and plans for a community gardening project with 10 raised beds beginning in June. He said volunteers run most operations and the local center has one paid staff member and one maintenance worker, supplemented by roughly six consistent volunteers and additional advisory-board support.

On youth programming, Mahinda said the Salvation Army will run a six-week summer day camp for 50 children, five days a week from about 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., offering breakfast, snack and lunch. The program carries a $25 registration fee for the six-week period and offers scholarships for families who cannot afford that fee.

On rent and utility assistance, Mahinda said the Salvation Army historically offers those programs but that the local center needs a social worker to qualify for many federal or endowment funds. "One of the big requirements is a social worker, and it's expensive to have a social worker," he said, describing the challenge of sustaining a social-worker position while funding direct assistance.

Council members praised the work and asked about staffing and volunteers; one council member said Mahinda was ready to open a shelter during winter emergencies after an outreach call. The mayor and councilmembers discussed scheduling a site visit to the Salvation Army facility.

Mahinda closed by inviting council members to tour the facilities and pointing to a recently updated flyer with program details. No formal council action was taken on the presentation in the supplied transcript.