Bushkill Outreach is happy to report that construction is underway for the new Lehman Township Community Center. The multi-use community building in Lehman Park will serve as Bushkill Outreach food pantry, senior center, a public venue, and an emergency services facility. According to Rob Rohner, Supervisor Chairman and Secretary/Treasurer of Lehman Township, the new center is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. Rohner also serves on the board of Bushkill Outreach Program.
Joe Ballestrieri, President of the Board of Directors at Bushkill Outreach, looks forward to the new and improved space to run community food pantry operations. A dedicated volunteer for many years, he says, “We can’t thank Lehman Township enough. In 2018, the township offered us a lifeline to move from the former Reformed Church of Bushkill on Route 209 to a building in Lehman Park, so we could continue providing food to our clients in need. They have been valuable partners, and we are excited about the new space. With the help of our volunteers, we look forward to continuing to serve Lehman Township and Middle Smithfield Township neighbors in need for many years to come.”
Lehman Township will provide Bushkill Outreach with office space, ample room for food storage, refrigerators, freezers, and a convenient loading dock. The new building will also feature:
- Heating/cooling warming center in case of blizzard or emergency, including showers and a kitchen.
- Senior programs via a partnership with Pike County Area Agency on Aging with space for meetings, programs, and lunches/dinners.
- Voting Location for Lehman Township 2 will move from the Bushkill Fire House to the new center.
- Thrift Shop to support the community and raise funds for Bushkill Outreach.
- Room rentals available to the community.
Plus, improvements will be made to the lower park along the Bushkill Creek. The cement walking trail will be refurbished, the parking lot will be paved, dead trees will be cleared, and new picnic tables and a playground will be added.
Lehman Township has executed partnerships and a variety of grants to make the building become a reality, including federal, state, and township funds.
- $400,625 – grant from Local Share Account (LSA) fund, i.e., Monroe County gaming funds.
- $538,137 – second half of American Rescue Plan (COVID) grant. Note: the first half of the grant was used to fund the Lehman Pike Emergency Medical Services.
- $25,000 – Pike County Scenic Rural Character Preservation program.
- VCNR – application has been submitted to receive funds to improve the trail playground ($200,000 request).
- Bushkill Outreach – capital campaign contribution. A tax-deductible donation can be made here: https://bushkilloutreach.com/donate/
- USDA – application has been submitted for a low-income loan.
From 2006-2018, Bushkill Outreach operated from the former Reformed Church of Bushkill, within structures owned by the National Park Service (NPS). After years of no-cost operation, in 2018, NPS informed the Outreach it would begin charging rent which would have put the pantry out of business. Lehman Township provided an unused structure inside Lehman Park, where Outreach currently operates in a reduced capacity. Lehman Township, the Board of the Bushkill Outreach, volunteers, and community partners have all worked together to build this new facility in Lehman Park.
Bushkill Outreach Program is a state-registered community food pantry in northeastern Pennsylvania, serving both Lehman Township in Pike County and Middle Smithfield Township in Monroe County. The mission of Bushkill Outreach is to offer basic support and sustenance to neighbors in need in the form of food and personal care products. Originating in 1978, Bushkill Outreach serves approximately 350 households or 1,000 persons each month. For more information, visit bushkilloutreach.com, email bushkilloutreach@yahoo.com, or call 570-588-0660.
