A Pennsylvania gaming company will provide free meals to seniors and families who are struggling during the coronavirus pandemic.
Lebanon-based skill games operator Shay’s Vending Service and Pennsylvania Skill will provide the free dinners from 5-7 p.m. Thursday at the Lincoln Republican Club, 21 S. Ninth St., Lebanon.
Pennsylvania Skill is made up of the operators and locations that carry legal skill amusement games distributed by gamemaker Pace-O-Matic. Spokeswoman Jeanette Krebs said the company “decided early during the pandemic that food insecurity was a huge issue and one it wanted to help tackle.”
Shay’s Vending and Pennsylvania Skill plan to distribute 500 Italian hoagies and potato chips to members of the community on Thursday, Krebs said.
“There is no preregistering, no need to show any information about their finances,” Krebs said. “We are trusting people on their word and know there is a lot of need in Lebanon County.”
The event is first-come, first-served until the giveaway ends at 7 p.m. People will pick up their sandwiches and take them home, Krebs added, but will not be dining at the club.
Krebs said local lawmakers may be on hand to help hand out the sandwiches.
“Take Out On PA Skill” is a statewide effort that, according to a statement from the company, made a $250,000 donation in April to Feeding Pennsylvania, which provides funding to nine food banks across the state. The donation equaled 750,000 meals for needy families, the release states.
The ongoing “Take Out” program furthers the effort, Krebs said, because “we just want to provide a meal for people who are struggling.”
The program provided nearly 600 meals to people in Williamsport in June and nearly 500 meals in Harrisburg in July, according to a company release. In addition to the Lebanon event on Thursday, the program will also be giving out 500 meals in Altoona this month.
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