The start of a new school year brings an immediate increase in demands on the Chester County Food Bank as the nonprofit organization endeavors to help feed less fortunate members of the community, writes Ronna Dewey for The Town Dish.

The Chester County Food Bank was formed seven years ago to help address the growing hunger problem in the county. It does this by collecting, growing, purchasing, storing, and distributing non-perishable food to more than 90 food cupboards and meal sites throughout the area.

To make this task a little easier, The Town Dish is encouraging residents and businesses to provide all the help that they can. This can be by volunteering from Monday to Friday or on weekends to help pack re-sealable bags with a rotating assortment of shelf-stable food items.

If this is not an option, then the food bank is always grateful for donated funds to help keep its vital work going.

Find out four ways you can help out the Food Bank at The Town Dish here, and check out previous VISTA Today coverage of Chester County Food Bank here.