Programs

Financial Assistance

A programs to assist families in need through our holistic approach to address community needs. A comprehensive listing of financial assistance programs for paying bills, rent, obtaining shelter, food and counseling services are detailed on our website,  www.agape-pa.org.

  • Life’s Essentials -  Facilitates local communications between those in need and the organizations that can help them. AGAPE offers educational materials, counseling and instructions on available resources, referral services, and a network of solutions to help solve problems. When other resources are unavailable or have been exhausted, financial assistance is provided for heating, rent, utilities, mortgage, car, medical and prescription expenses and other needs.
  • RoadHome - Helps displaced people who are in need of housing and/or short-term shelter or transportation. For a variety of reasons good people can find themselves without a secure place to live or a means to get home. Unemployment and estrangement from family members are just a few of the reasons people can suddenly find themselves homeless or lacking transportation to get where they need to be.
  • Emergency Relief - Offers recovery assistance after a local disaster such as house fires, localized tornados, hurricanes, & floods.

Fixer Upper/Emergency Relief

That aids people who are in desperate need of some minor household repairs, but are unable to perform the work without some help. With volunteer labor, we can help if an elderly widow needs her porch repaired, or an individual becomes wheelchair bound and their home requires some adaptations.

Emergency Relief assists members of the community facing recovery from a local disaster such as a house fire, or undeclared local disasters--flooding or tornadoes, et al.

Daily Bread

A program is dedicated to reducing hunger in our community. AGAPE distributes food and provides referrals to other existing food banks and pantries in our area. We also offer supplemental meals during the week to compliment these existing food assistance programs as many existing food bank resources throughout our region are only available on a monthly or weekly basis.

Kid’s Weekend Eats

  • We started providing weekend backpacks stuffed with healthy, easy to prepare meals for elementary aged students (before the age where they are shamed by peers to accept handouts) for local schools that were not receiving any similar relief. We are currently serving seven local school districts through weekend backpack delivery and school based food pantries.

Community Meal

  • AGAPE serves community meals for the public providing nutritious food and fellowship.

Fresh Express

  • AGAPE has partnered with the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank and other local donors to offer perishable and non-perishable food to registered residents of Columbia County, & Montour County. This event occurs as a drive-thru at AGAPE every Thursday between 11:00 and 4:00 (except when a holiday occurs on a Thursday)

Columbia County Food Pantry  

  • AGAPE is the lead agency for the Columbia County Food Pantry Network, an income based monthly food distribution program at six locations throughout Columbia County. In special circumstances food is always available to be distributed in emergency situations.

Family Care

A set of programs which encompasses serving the needs of the whole family at all aspects of their lives. This includes, but is not limited to, our Cloth Diaper Program, Women in Need (WIN), Small Beginnings, and our pet program Happy Tails.

Cloth Diaper Program

  • This program allows families to receive a free cloth diaper kit. You can make an appointment with Vicki Berlin at (570)752-1354 or visit us at Agape as a walk-in on Tuesdays from 10am to 1pm.

WIN

  • WIN stands for "Women in Need." This program provides hygiene products for all women. WIN is a partnered program by Shape of Justice & AGAPE, promoting fairness, equity, dignity and respect for all women and girls. Our hygiene products are distributed through the local schools, community agencies such as Your Loving Choices, and our front desk. When schools start in September we monthly distribution at the schools as well as a monthly distribution on Thursdays during Fresh Express food distribution.

Happy Tails

  • “Pets are part of our everyday lives and part of our families. They provide us with companionship but also with emotional support, reduce our stress levels, sense of loneliness and help us to increase our social activities and add to a child's self-esteem and positive emotional development.” We have partnered with Rescue Bank to receive various donations of pet food and products which we then distribute once a month during Fresh Express to those Fresh Express clients who have registered their pets.

Small Beginnings 

  • The goal of this program is to change the course of at-risk children's lives by sharing the Good News, encouraging personal relationships with God, improving academic abilities, and treating each child as the person God created him/her to be.
  • Prime Time – Prime Time is a faith-based program geared towards children ages 5-12. Teens are welcome as long as they respect our rules and participate in activities. We are open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm whenever the public schools are in session. All sessions are held at the Briar Creek Borough building - 6029 Park Road in Berwick. For more information contact Kim Sullivan sullivan@pa.metrocast.net cell-(570)814-3110
  • We would like to expand this program to other locations. If interested, call us at 570-317-2210.

Daniel’s Prayer Team

  • Daniel’s Prayer team listens to concerns and prays, upon request, for clients and their circumstances. Spiritual resources such as the Bible and other written devotionals are provided to help guide clients in their daily spiritual life.

Hope & Healing

  • This program is to serve low-income critically ill patients and their families with spiritual, mental, emotional, and financial support. We also provide referral support to various support groups and organizations. Our goal is to provide hope and encouragement to help alleviate some of the pain and suffering caused by illness. Examples of services include but are not limited to: Accompanying patients to Doctor’s Appointments/ Treatments, Home/Hospital Visitation, Errand Running, and of course Prayer.

Learning More

This is a program that provides educational referrals and training assistance to individuals who need specific information at pivotal points in their lives. The “right” training at the right time can help land a job, avoid a family crisis, and build a solid foundation toward a better future.

  • Getting Ahead Programs
    • Getting Ahead in a Just Gettin’ by World– takes you step by step through a discovery of yourself like no other. It's not just about how you got where you are now. It's also about what comes next to build the life you want. Plus, this workbook helps you develop relationships with people who will support you all along the way. Getting Ahead in the Workplace– solves these challenges by helping under-resourced people build resources and gain control over their future stories.
    • Getting Ahead While Getting Out– was created in response to a demand from corrections professionals and returning citizens for a comprehensive reentry program modeled on the existing Getting Ahead in a Just Gettin’ by World curriculum, already being used in correctional settings in five states..
  • Bridges Out of Poverty
    • Is a uniquely powerful tool designed for social, health, and legal services professionals. Based in part on Dr. Ruby K. Payne's myth-shattering “A Framework For Understanding Poverty,” this program reaches out to millions of service providers. You'll find case studies, detailed analysis, helpful charts and exercises, and specific solutions you and your organization can implement right now.
  • Poverty Simulation Workshop
    • AGAPE presents a three hour workshop that introduces members of the community to a brief experience of what it is like to live as a low-income family. The attendees are given parts to play as a member of a low-income family who must solve the income and expense issues of that family’s monthly life. Each of four 15 minutes of an hour represents one week of the month after which they must have met their monthly financial and other needs as it all relates to employment, health, child care, rent, utilities and other bills. This mock experience has changed the stereotyped preconceptions of many attendees with regard to the issues faced by low income families.

Home Furnishings

Members of the communities we serve and programs offered by national stores donate used and new home furnishings that AGAPE distributes, free of charge. These include a variety of items that our clients cannot afford when setting up a household. The goal of this program is to collect and store materials ahead of time so that when hardships arise, we are prepared to aid those of our community in need.

Disaster Response

A program activated only in case of widespread disaster throughout Columbia and Montour Counties when a state of emergency by governmental organizations. AGAPE becomes the Columbia County Community Volunteer Agencies Active in Disaster (CCCVOAD), and works in conjunction with Columbia County Emergency Management, FEMA, PEMA, American Red Cross and Salvation Army and other disaster relief organizations. AGAPE also serves as a hub for Mission Central collecting disaster relief kits and their individual materials from churches and the local community.

In Need

If you, your family or someone you know is in need, we may be able to assist. Our mission is to help those in need to not fall between the cracks. We offer many programs that could benefit you in your time of need. From food, to clothing, furniture and financial assistance to guidance with other agencies – there is help at AGAPE.

We provide services on a first come, first serve basis. Click here to print out and complete our Benevolence Application before your visit, to save you time.

Please contact us!

AGAPE Love From Above To Our Community
19 East 7th Street
Bloomsburg, PA 17815
(570) 317-2210