Local restaurants are joining the fight against food insecurity through program

DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) – Some local restaurants are joining the fight to end food insecurity through a program called Breadcoin. It’s to help those who are homeless, recovering addicts, single mothers, students, and anyone struggling with good insecurity.

“I am doing the Breadcoins to help the community,” said Owner of OD’s Fish House Otis Harrison in Harrisburg.

“We see a lot of homeless down here downtown and feeding from out of the trash or just, you know, laying around,” said Co-owner Taco Amigos Marcel Childs in Harrisburg.

You get a coin just like this one from places including local shelters, churches like Market Square Presbyterian in Harrisburg and other charitable organizations who have purchased Breadcoins to distribute.

“Currency covers their meal and they’re in and out, just like any other customer,” said Childs.

Each coin is $2.50. You then take the coin to any of the 16 participating restaurants in Harrisburg, Mechanicsburg, and Middletown, where you can then order something off the Breadcoin menu for free with the coins.

“Every week we, we, are whether it’s student, homeless, I don’t know their background. I just know they come and use the coin,” said Childs.

Participating restaurants don’t take a hit financially since it’s the charities that buy and distribute the coins and restaurants get paid back by bread coin for the food, they services, or they can get Microloans through Breadcoin.

“You’re also able to get a loan through the bread coin program to help your business out as well. We were able to do that this summer, we had some issues, and I was able to go to them. They write a check out for me. I was able to address something for the restaurant, so it was very beneficial,” said Childs.

Breadcoin distributors include Amiracle4sure, Christian Churches United, Jones Resources, One80 Ministries, Tri-County OIC, Family Promise, Justice House of Hope, Shalom House, Tears for Tarina, Thrive Housing, Macedonia Baptist Church, Market Square Presbyterian Church, Mechanicsburg Brethren in Christ Church, Second City Church, Shepherdstown United Methodist Church and Wesley Union AME Zion Church.