Celebrate Impact Stories: Three PANO Members Show What Getting It Done Looks LIke

Across Pennsylvania, nonprofits deliver impact every day in concrete, measurable ways. Today, PANO spotlights three of our member organizations whose numbers speak for themselves: 100,000 people served each year, 500 households fed every month, and children of all abilities getting specialized support they need. 

Today, we celebrate the Celebrate Impact Stories Day of Action, part of the national Nonprofits Get It Done campaign. We’re featuring three organizations, AccessMatters, CARE for Children, and the State College Food Bank, whose work tells a clear story about what nonprofits accomplish for the people and communities they serve. 

AccessMatters, Philadelphia County 

Nearly 100,000 people a year rely on AccessMatters for sexual and reproductive health services and information. AccessMatters delivers those services directly, supports a large network of healthcare providers across the region, and conducts research, training, and advocacy that extends their reach well beyond any single patient interaction. The organization primarily serves people and families with lower incomes, people from communities facing stigma, and people experiencing gaps in access to care. In a landscape where access to reproductive health care is increasingly uncertain, AccessMatters’ work is both urgent and foundational.

CARE for Children, McKean County 

CARE for Children provides therapy, early intervention, early childhood education, child safety services, social work, and family support — all focused on improving the lives of children of all abilities. That phrase matters. It means that families in a rural part of the state have access to specialized, high-quality services that often don’t exist in many communities. CARE for Children fills a gap that would otherwise leave children and families without the support they need during the years that matter most.

State College Food Bank, Centre County

More than 500 Centre County households turn to the State College Food Bank every month for nutritious food and essential items. They provide a steady, consistent presence families can count on. The State College Food Bank also strengthens the broader safety net by supporting local programs and community partners across the region. Their mission is straightforward: no one in Centre County goes hungry. 

Behind the Work 

These three organizations, and thousands more across Pennsylvania, do the direct work that holds communities together. PANO’s makes sure they have what they need to do it well.

That’s why we launched The PANO Navigator, a curated resource that helps Pennsylvania’s nonprofit leaders find guidance, tools, and connections right when they need them. From governance questions to fundraising strategy to finding the data that supports the work, The Navigator helps nonprofits getting it done do their work better. 

What’s Next

Today’s spotlight is the second in a series of three. In February, we featured Centre LGBT+, New Hope Ministries, the Pennsylvania Head Start Association, and Westmoreland County Libraries for World NGO Day. On April 20, we’ll spotlight four more PA nonprofits for Volunteer Recognition Day — stay tuned.

Across the Commonwealth, nonprofits provide health care, feed families, protect children, support veterans, respond to disasters, and hold communities together in ways often invisible until they’re needed.

If you’re a community member, a policymaker, or someone who benefits from the work nonprofits do, today is a good day to say so. Share what nonprofits get done in your community using #NonprofitsGetItDone, and visit NonprofitsGetItDone.org to learn more about the national campaign.