Second Harvest Food Bank Appoints New Associate Executive Director
Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania and its parent organization, Community Action Lehigh Valley, are proud to announce the appointment of Allison Czapp as the Food Bank’s new Associate Executive Director. Prior to joining the Food Bank’s team, Czapp worked with Community Action Lehigh Valley’s planning department as the grant writer for the Sixth Street Shelter and The Seed Farm.
“The diverse qualifications Allison brings to Second Harvest include a deep knowledge of our regional food systems and experience addressing food equity,” said Lisa Higgins, Second Harvest Food Bank’s Board Chair. “Her history as a leader, locally and nationally, will help guide and shape Second Harvest as the organization emerges from the challenges our community and our country have faced in the recent past.”
Czapp comes to the organization with knowledge of food systems and previous experience working with Lehigh Valley communities to attain greater access to local food. Prior to joining CALV, Czapp was the director and outreach coordinator for Buy Fresh Buy Local of the Greater Lehigh Valley, a nonprofit that works to build the food economy of the Lehigh Valley.
Additionally, Czapp has been a staple in the local food community within the Lehigh Valley. Working on initiatives to create more nutritious food options in Lehigh Valley corner stores and strengthening the impact of local farmer’s markets are among her contributions. Czapp has also served on multiple boards and committees pertaining to food insecurity and agriculture, such as the Penn State Extension Advisory Committee and the Lehigh Valley Food Policy Council, further broadening her understanding of local food systems and the ways they can be improved.
"I am approaching this job with a stark awareness of how food insecurity is just one part of larger, systemic problems in our communities and nation that contribute to extreme wealth disparities, racism, and generational trauma. My goal at Second Harvest is to ensure people know that we are here to help; we can at least help take the pressure off one major stress point in the short-term -- not having enough nutritious food to eat -- while working in the long-term to move our community forward in ways that center equity and compassion,” Czapp said.
Her vision includes better integrating The Seed Farm into the activities of the Food Bank and continuing to move the organization in a fresh direction by strengthening food justice initiatives. Czapp’s goal is for Second Harvest to remain a resilient organization that can support the needs of the community by fostering a collaborative environment between its staff, donors, volunteers, community partners and participants.
Czapp officially began as the new Associate Executive Director of Second Harvest Food Bank on March 7, 2022. A Virtual Meet & Greet will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, March 30 at 12pm for members of the media, volunteers, donors, and community partners.
