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Portion of new wall along Solomon Creek built, next phase of project underway in Wilkes-Barre

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Becoming what it was meant to be: Dallas Elementary demolished

<p>JENKINS TWP. &#8212; Northeastern Pennsylvania is doing better at combating hunger than some other parts of the state, state Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller said as she toured a local food bank on Wednesday.</p><p>Miller&#8217;s visit to the Harry &amp; Jeanette Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank came as part of a campaign by Gov. Tom Wolf&#8217;s administration during Hunger Action Month.</p><p>During a facility tour with food bank president Gene Brady of the Commission for Economic Opportunity, Miller was told about the food bank&#8217;s plan to stomp out hunger in Luzerne County and the surrounding areas by 2025.</p><p>According to Brady, thanks to the combined effects of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and charitable food donations, the food bank is actually slightly ahead of their schedule in eliminating hunger in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and he feels confident the goal will be met as long as SNAP continues to exist and the economy stays healthy.</p><p>Previously, Brady said, one in four children in our part of the state were food insecure, but now only one in five children face hunger, and that number is still decreasing.</p><p>Miller was amazed by the area&#8217;s progress.</p><p>&#8220;I was just in Allentown,&#8221; Miller said of a leg of her statewide tours only early that day. &#8220;I saw just the opposite.&#8221;</p><p>According to Miller, in the Allentown area, the need for food is only increasing, and shows no signs of slowing down.</p><p>Both Miller and Brady reiterated, though, that without SNAP hunger would likely skyrocket in our area, which could lead to a potential public health crisis. Miller said that Pennsylvania is committed to fighting attempts by the federal government to decrease funding for SNAP.</p><p>After her tour, Miller volunteered time with the food bank, helping to pack up boxes that contain food that would be sent out to area senior citizens in need of assistance.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Gene Brady, executive director of the Commission for Economic Opportunity, gives Theresa Miller, the Department of Human Services Secretary a tour of the Harry &amp; Jeanette Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank in Pittston on Wednesday. The reason for the visit was to highlight Hunger Action Month and the importance of fighting food insecurity in Pennsylvania. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_TTL091919food1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Gene Brady, executive director of the Commission for Economic Opportunity, gives Theresa Miller, the Department of Human Services Secretary a tour of the Harry &amp; Jeanette Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank in Pittston on Wednesday. The reason for the visit was to highlight Hunger Action Month and the importance of fighting food insecurity in Pennsylvania. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Miller: NEPA doing better at combating hunger than some regions</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Patrick Kernan</p><p>pkernan@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Patrick Kernan at 570-991-6386 or on Twitter @PatKernan</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Secretary of Human Services tours local food bank to promote food assistance programs