WILMINGTON, Del., Nov. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the holiday season approaches, WSFS Bank is encouraging its Associates, Customers and Communities to search their hearts, and their pantries, to donate nonperishable food items to provide meals to the food-insecure. WSFS banking locations in the state of Delaware; Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania; and Camden and Burlington counties in New Jersey will be designated as convenient Community food deposit centers as part of the Bank’s annual Fall/Winter Food Drive.

The pandemic has exacerbated the need for food for many, with more than 54 million people estimated to be food insecure in 2020, according to Feeding America. The nationwide trend is no less concerning in our region, where the 2020 projected food insecurity rate in Delaware (17.8%) exceeds the nationwide projection (16.7%), with Pennsylvania (15.9%) and New Jersey (13.5%) not far behind.

Now, through December 11 in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and through December 31 in Delaware, WSFS will collect nonperishable food items and donate them to organizations fighting hunger in Communities the Bank serves, including:

• Rolling Harvest Food Rescue (Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, Pa.)
• Chester County Food Bank (Chester County, Pa.)
• Sunday Breakfast Mission (Del.)
• Burlington Township Food Pantry (Burlington and Camden counties, NJ)

“The pandemic has only increased the need for relief assistance in the region and our nonprofits are struggling to keep pace,” said Vernita L. Dorsey, Senior Vice President, Director of Community Strategy at WSFS Bank. “We welcome everyone from across our footprint to participate in the effort to stop hunger and to end food insecurity in our neighborhoods.”

“The need is great, so the collection of nonperishable food from WSFS Bank is critical,” said Rev. Tom Laymon, Sr. Pastor, President, Sunday Breakfast Mission. “More than 2,000 families throughout Delaware will have a fruitful Thanksgiving and holiday season because of this great food drive.”

“WSFS Bank has emerged as a true partner for healthy food access and hunger relief in this challenging age of COVID-19,” said Cathy Snyder, Founder and Executive Director, Rolling Harvest Food Rescue. “We are so honored to be serving with them to collect all of this great food for our neighbors in need, especially leading up to the holidays.”  

The 2020 Fall Food Drive is WSFS’ 17th annual collection. In 2019, WSFS donated nearly 66,000 pounds of food to those in need thanks to the generosity of its Associates, Customers and Communities. Customers and area residents are encouraged to take their nonperishable food donations to participating WSFS banking offices. To find the nearest WSFS Bank location, please visit www.wsfsbank.com.

The WSFS Community Foundation previously provided $300,000 in grants to 21 local nonprofits engaged in the fight against COVID-19. WSFS Bank provided a $200,000 donation to four community development financial institutions (CDFIs) to utilize for relief grants to help accelerate recovery efforts of local small businesses within the Bank’s footprint. In addition, WSFS Bank and the WSFS Community Foundation pledged $35,500 to provide hundreds of technology devices to area students for online learning.

About WSFS Financial Corporation 
WSFS Financial Corporation is a multi-billion-dollar financial services company. Its primary subsidiary, WSFS Bank, is the oldest and largest locally-managed bank and trust company headquartered in Delaware and the greater Philadelphia region. As of September 30, 2020, WSFS Financial Corporation had $13.8 billion in assets on its balance sheet and $23.1 billion in assets under management and administration. WSFS operates from 115 offices, 90 of which are banking offices, located in Pennsylvania (54), Delaware (43), New Jersey (16), Virginia (1) and Nevada (1) and provides comprehensive financial services including commercial banking, retail banking, cash management and trust and wealth management. Other subsidiaries or divisions include Arrow Land Transfer, Cash Connect®, Cypress Capital Management, LLC, Christiana Trust Company of Delaware, NewLane Finance, Powdermill Financial Solutions, West Capital Management, WSFS Institutional Services®, WSFS Mortgage, and WSFS Wealth Investments. Serving the greater Delaware Valley since 1832, WSFS Bank is one of the ten oldest banks in the United States continuously operating under the same name. For more information, please visit www.wsfsbank.com