The mission of The Hope Center, Inc. is to provide hope through care, friendship, and encouragement to the residents of Bellwood-Antis.
This mission is executed through two programs:
1) A monthly food pantry for residents of the Bellwood-Antis community.
2) A weekly hot meal from September - April.
Since August 2020, The Hope Center, Inc. (THC) has been providing supplemental food to families in the Bellwood-Antis community. This past fiscal year, July 2025 - June 2026, THC gave away over 33,500 cases of bulk food at The Food Pantry to 982 households; and prepared and delivered 3,139 soup meals to seniors and shut-ins.
God has provided revenue through donations from community members, local churches, and grants from M&T Bank and The Central PA Food Bank. Free and reduced-cost food is provided by our partners at the Central PA Food Bank and the Salvation Army.
THC received another recycling grant of more than $28,000, being used to upgrade and expand refrigeration so we can continue to provide fresh, nutritious food for the neighbors in the Bellwood-Antis community using the Food Pantry each month.
God has intersected the needs of the community with the capacity of THC and the willing hearts of reliable volunteers. THC has more than 40 volunteers, organized into the following crews: Wednesday Truck, Pantry Prep, Food Pantry, Truck2Trunk, Soup Prep, Soup Packing & Delivery.
As we continue to walk through the doors God opens, we trust He will provide. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul (Hebrews 6:19).
Visit the tabs on the left to find out more about THC's programs, our impact in the community of Bellwood-Antis, and how you can get involved.
Did you know roughly 1 in 7 people in the United States live in food-insecure households? That is not 1 in 7 households-it is 1 in 7 people! Despite what many people think, the number of people in Bellwood-Antis does not differ from other local municipalities or national averages. According to the USDA, 13.7% of U.S. households were food insecure at some point in 2024, equal to 47.9 million people. Additionally, a more recent trend is ALICE Families in our nation. ALICE is an acronym—Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. “As cashiers, waiters, childcare providers, and other members of our essential workforce, ALICE earns just above the Federal Poverty Level but less than what it costs to make ends meet. These struggling households are forced to make impossible choices each day. The ALICE Essentials Index tracks changes over time in the cost of six core household necessities: housing, childcare, food, transportation, health care, and basic technology. Unlike the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which includes over 200 categories of goods and services, the ALICE Index focuses specifically on essentials that financially constrained households must afford, providing a more accurate picture of economic hardship.” (UNITEDFORALICE.ORG)
The Hope Center Food Pantry was opened in 2020 to address Food Insecure and ALICE Households, and elderly and disabled community members on fixed incomes. The pantry is open two scheduled Saturdays (the Saturdays following the second and fourth Wednesdays) each month from 9:30-11:30 am. Clients are assigned a group (Blue or Gold) corresponding to one of the two Saturdays each month. Dates are announced on the Hope Center Facebook page and posted on the door.
THC typically has a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, milk, cheese, meats, and non-perishable foods. Sometimes there is also a selection of toiletries, donated by members of local churches.
If you are not already registered, it only takes a few minutes. Call Tracie at 814.880.7206. If you or your organization would be willing to contribute to food costs, call Terri at 814.931.8965.
Senior Box Program Logo
The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank’s Senior Box Program provides a monthly box of food to seniors 60 years of age or older whose total household income does not exceed the listed guidelines. The program is in addition to any other food assistance the participant may receive.
The Hope Center's Truck2Trunk Program delivers the senior boxes once each month to eight homes in Bellwood-Antis. Twenty-two other senior residents of Bellwood-Antis pick up their senior box when they use the Hope Center Food Pantry.
Food distribution dates will be announced on our Facebook page and posted on our door at 421 Main Street, Bellwood.
The Hope Center, Inc. (THC) is fully funded by the generous donations of businesses, community organizations, and community members.
Last year THC received grants from M&T Bank,The Central PA Food Bank, and PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). DEP provided THC with a recycling grant for $28,000. THC is using the DEP grant money to upgrade and expand refrigeration. We want to increase our capacity to offer fresh and nutritious food to our neighbors through the Food Pantry.
The lifeline of the Hope Center is our volunteers. Many community members give of their time each month to volunteer for one or more of our volunteer crews.
As the need for assistance with food has increased for families in our community, God continues to provide food, volunteers, and financial support. HE is a GOOD Father who is providing for THC because our team is His hands and feet. Our team includes all our volunteers, as well as our financial and prayer partners.
May God continue to richly bless The Hope Center as we continue to do His good work for the residents of the Bellwood-Antis community.
The Hope Center is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation. All donations are tax-deductible. The Hope Center, Inc. EIN# is 74-3229571.
Use the link above to donate through PayPal or make checks payable to The Hope Center and mail to 421 Main Street, Bellwood, PA 16617. A receipt will be provided.
If you have any questions or would like to meet to discuss partnership opportunities, such as adopting months for meat, please reach out to Terri at 814.931.8965 or Tracie at 814.880.7206. We look forward to partnering with you.
Blessings,
Terri Harpster & Tracie Ciambotti, Co-Directors
The Hope Center is dependent on volunteers of all ages to sustain the programs that serve residents of the community. If you are looking for meaningful volunteer opportunities, consider the following:
Soups-On: Kitchen crew, packaging, and delivery of meals, and clean-up. Wednesday opportunities between the hours of 10:00am-1:00pm.
Delivery Truck: Help to unload the truck(s). The second and fourth Wednesday of each month, 8:30am-10:30am.
Truck2Trunk: Help to deliver nonperishable food boxes to senior families in the community. One Saturday morning of each month, from 8:30am-9:30am.
Pantry Prep: Twice a month on Thursdays from 10am-12:00pm, help to check expiration dates, unpack boxes, and restock shelves for the Food Pantry.
Food Pantry: Register clients. Restock shelves. Help clients get their groceries to their vehicles. Designated Saturday opportunities from 8:30am to 11:30am.
Substitute: Maybe you cannot regularly commit to one of the volunteer opportunities. Could you be a substitute, filling in periodically when someone is away or sick?
Call Terri Harpster at 814.931.8965 for more information or to get started.
Thanks to the PA Recycling Food Grant for the two new commercial freezers at The Hope Center, Inc in Bellwood PA. The units provide additional reliable frozen food storage for our #foodpantry neighbors. Also thanks to Martins Appliance who donates free delivery and installation because of our non-profit status. One more person to thank—Bob Stiver, a faithful volunteer who showed up early this morning to operate the more than 100-year “Cornmesser” elevator, which was needed to get freezers to basement. ...
The Hope Center, Inc. participated in #Voluntoona this morning. The event is organized by #PennStateAltoona and gets campus students out into the community in volunteering roles. Shea, Chase, Riley, and Justin joined The Hope Center’s Food Pantry crew this morning helping neighbors self-select food, transferring food from shopping carts to vehicles, and restocking shelves. Thank you to the students and #PennStateAltoona...
Bellwood-Antis School District High School Students helped clean all the food pantry shelves in The Hope Center this morning. What a blessing to spend time with them and their teachers and support staff. We had lunch together back at the school. Thanks Shannon Elder! ...
The Hope Center, Inc. of Bellwood, PA, is a Christian 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to bring hope to the citizens of Bellwood-Antis through acts of care, encouragement, and friendship. The Hope Center EIN: 74-3229571.
The Hope Center is governed by the following Board Members: Vonda Harding, Secretary; Jendy Maines, Treasurer; Wes Harpster, Tim McMillen, Kathy Nau, and Melody Plummer.
The Hope Center is directed by Terri Harpster and Tracie Ciambotti.
AND JUSTICE FOR ALL
In accordance with Federal law and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, The Hope Center is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, and American Sign Language) should contact the responsible State or local Agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, which can be obtained online, at www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/usda-programdiscrimination-complaint-form.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by mail, fax, or email.
Mail U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; Fax (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; Email program.intake@usda.gov. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
The Hope Center, Inc. EIN#: 74-3229571
Website developed and maintained by Terri Harpster. Last updated August 2026.
