Autumn is harvest season in the Lehigh Valley, and this year we got to share in it. Farms called with surplus produce. Master Gardeners brought in tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini from their own backyards. Our schools went back into session and right back into rescue mode. And in between, a few rescues came along that were bigger than anything we’ve handled before.
Here’s what you made possible since our summer update.
Over 185,000 Pounds — and Over 154,000 Meals
So far in 2026, iHave iNeed has rescued more than 185,000 pounds of food and essential goods. That’s the equivalent of more than 154,000 meals.
That’s more than 92 tons, rescued from waste and delivered to the nonprofit organizations that get it into the hands of neighbors who need it. We’re on pace for our biggest year yet, and there’s still a full quarter to go.
Thank you for making every pound of it possible.
A Harvest Worth Sharing
Late summer and early autumn brought a wave of fresh, local produce. Our thanks to the farms and growers who chose to share their surplus:
- Valley Fruits & Veggies: 285 pounds of fresh eggplant, ~1,000 pounds of tomatoes, 100 pounds of peppers, and 380 pounds of cantaloupe went to Bethel Community Church in Allentown, Northern Lehigh Food Bank, Northampton Area Food Bank, and others. We first met through 1 Million Cups, hosted by Northampton Community College.
- Deichman Farms: surplus apples delivered to the Northampton Area Food Bank.
- Gogle Farms: surplus produce for our partner pantries.
- Suyundalla Farms: eggs keep coming, including 60 dozen in a single run, plus garlic scapes.
New: The Master Gardeners & Neighbors Produce Donation Program
This summer, one of our founding members, who is also a Penn State Lehigh Valley Master Gardener, helped us launch something new: a way for home gardeners to share their extra harvest.
In the first two weeks alone, six Master Gardeners and one neighbor donated more than 200 pounds of fresh produce. By early September they had added another 108 pounds: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, scallions, cucumbers, zucchini, and more.
Our Biggest Rescues Yet
Pallets of protein. In September, through our connection with Conscious Alliance, we helped route more than 20 pallets of frozen shredded chicken, ham, and bacon (about 15,000 pounds) to Second Harvest Food Bank of Lehigh Valley and Northeast PA. We don’t have cold storage of our own yet, but Second Harvest does, along with a network of more than 200 pantries. Their partnership meant that protein reached families instead of a landfill. This is what collaboration looks like.
The Donut Derby. Over Labor Day weekend, the Lehigh Valley Cycling Club let us rescue the surplus from their Donut Derby: 339 pounds, including 40 dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts, plus bananas, oranges, apples, sandwiches, and snacks. Everything went to the Whitehall Food Pantry, Raub Middle School, and the Refugee Center of Allentown.
Avocados… Thanks! When the East Side Food Pantry at Community Bike Works had more avocados than they could use, we picked up 340 pounds and had them delivered to the Allentown Rescue Mission and Catasauqua Food Pantry the same day!
And there were plenty more: sliced bread from Camp Fowler, pallets of protein bars and bottled water assisted by America Cares, race-day 5K surplus kept in Easton with Angels of Easton, and pita bread from Soumaya & Sons Bakery and Deli. We even delivered a personal donation of inner tubes and CO2 cartridges to Community Bike Works. Not every rescue is food, but every one of them matters.
Back to School, Back to Rescuing
With the new school year underway, Parkland School District, Northern Lehigh School District, and Emmaus High School are in full rescue mode. Hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds are rescued every week: fruit cups, apple slices, carrots, frozen vegetables, and more, all delivered to local nonprofits instead of thrown away.
To our school partners, the food service teams, and the staff who make it happen: thank you.
Welcoming New Partners
Our network grew in both directions this season.
New rescue partners, who share their surplus with us:
- ABF Freight
- The Gooch Coop
- Levy Restaurants
- ArtsQuest
- Jay’s Local
New charity partners, who receive rescued goods and get them to the people they serve:
- Refugee Center of Allentown
- Raub Middle School
- Bath Food Pantry
- Northampton Food Pantry
- Victory Recovery Homes
- Bethel Community Church
We’re also making matches smarter. Every week or so, we now send a short online form to our receiving agencies asking what they need most right now. That way the right rescued items go to the right places faster.
We’ve also launched a Rescue Partner Spotlight series on Facebook to celebrate the businesses behind the rescues. So far we’ve featured D’sopranos Pizza in Walnutport, Deichman Farms, and Valley Fruits & Veggies, with more on the way.
Keys in Hand: A Donated SUV
An anonymous donor gave iHave iNeed a Toyota RAV4, and the title is now officially ours. More cargo space means bigger pickups, fewer trips, and more flexibility when a rescue comes up last minute.
Special thanks to The Yurconic Agency for handling the title, registration, and tags, and to Frank T. Armetta State Farm Agent for helping us get it insured.
Can you help keep it on the road? A vehicle comes with ongoing costs: fuel, insurance, and maintenance. A gift of any size toward vehicle costs keeps our newest rescue vehicle moving.
Supporting the Volunteers Who Drive the Mission
Our rescue volunteers cover a lot of miles in their own cars, often several times a week. To help, we’ve introduced a new gas card policy: active rescue volunteers can receive up to $40 per month toward fuel costs. If you’re a volunteer, call or email us for more information.
We don’t want the price of fuel to be a barrier for our volunteers to help us rescue surplus items and deliver them to our receiving agencies that help those in need.
It’s a small way to say thank you, and it helps make sure the cost of gas never stands between a rescue and the people waiting for it. Want to help fund it? Every dollar given to the gas card fund goes straight to the volunteers on the road.
Still Searching: A Space, and a Few Good Board Members
A space of our own. Our search for warehouse, staging, and volunteer space continues. We’re looking for more than a storage room. We want a home base: somewhere to meet with partners and plan with volunteers, and a place our team can get into on evenings, weekends, and holidays, when so many rescues actually happen. It would also give our volunteers one dependable spot to pick up the supplies they need before heading out on a run. If you know of an available space of around 2,000 sq ft, or a property owner who might want to support a growing nonprofit, please reply and let us know.
Board members. We’re looking for community-minded leaders with experience in finance and accounting, business development and partnerships, community leadership, or nonprofit board service. The commitment is 4–6 board meetings a year plus about 5–8 hours a month of committee work. Interested, or know someone who’d be a great fit? Email info@ihave-ineed.org.
Out in the Community
We continue to meet with local elected officials to share our impact and talk about what our community needs to keep food out of landfills and on tables. Thank you to everyone who has made time to listen.
And during Food Waste Prevention Week in September, we joined the national conversation about how much good food goes to waste, and what we can all do about it.
Here’s How You Can Help
- Fund the road: Give toward our gas card fund or the SUV’s fuel, insurance, and maintenance.
- Know of a space that may benefit us? Reply and connect us.
- Join or recommend a board member: Email info@ihave-ineed.org.
- Know a business, farm, event or school with surplus? Make an introduction and we’ll handle the rest.
- Volunteer for pickups and deliveries. Every hour helps.
- Follow and share this newsletter, our Rescue Partner Spotlights on Facebook and Instagram, and anything else about iHave iNeed that may inspire others to join in.
From backyard gardens to 20 pallets of protein, this autumn proved that no rescue is too small and no rescue is too big. With your help, we’ll finish 2026 stronger than ever.
Thank you for being part of making the Lehigh Valley a little better for so many people.