Cumberland Valley Animal Assistance Program

03/26/2025

🚨🐾 CVAAP is Launching C-PODS! Help Us Find Community Partners! 🐾🚨
We’re excited to announce our newest initiative — Community Points of Distribution (C-PODS) — to keep our pet food assistance program going strong! 🐶🐱
In the past, our monthly pantry fed over 1,000 pets, but as our community grew, so did the challenges — limited storage, strict distribution days, and accessibility issues for many families.
Now, we’re partnering with local businesses and programs to become C-PODs — mini distribution points where families in need can pick up food for their pets more conveniently!
👉 Do you own or know of a local business, organization, or community center in Cumberland County that might be a great fit?� We’d love to hear from you!
📌 C-PODs must: ✅ Be located in Cumberland County (for now)� ✅ Be willing to store and distribute pet food� ✅ Have at least one open weeknight and one weekend day available for pickup� ✅ Follow CVAAP's program guidelines
💬 Please tag a business, send us a message, or share this post to help us find the right partners.� Together, we can keep pets fed and families supported. ❤️🐾
📋 Interested locations can apply here:� 👉 https://forms.gle/MJWanPUtgYa2o9u16

Community Point of Distribution Interest Form for Cooperative Effort with CVAAP.

11/01/2024

Something to consider. $15 a month could save your pet’s life. Our goal, by helping you feed your pets, is to free up finances to provide needed veterinary care and licensing for your pets. This is why the rule exists that you may not adopt/foster/rescue additional animals while enrolled in our program. While we realize it isn’t always popular or well-received, it will remain a requirement for participation as it supports the goal of our efforts.

08/06/2024

Friends- Again, I encourage you to mark [email protected] as a favorite in your email inbox to ensure that pantry emails do not go to your junk email box. The program we use to send out pantry invites is a “mass mailer”, so as your email companies attempt to block spam, we get included in that! There is nothing we can do on our end to assist with that. You must change it on your end!
Photo to capture your attention.

08/02/2024

Thanks to our awesome friends at BARK for helping us with our fall fundraiser! We greatly appreciate their support in feeding over 1,000 animals in our community. We are hopeful that we can use their funds raised to get our box truck back on the road!

07/27/2024

We really appreciate our friends at ABC West Lanes and Lounge for their donation towards our annual fundraiser.
This year has been a difficult one as we’ve had to lease storage and make repairs to our box truck. After putting $2,000 into brakes, the radiator began leaking and it will require new tires before inspection. Each time we rent a truck, we spend $300-400. In July, our truck rental bill alone was over $1200. We know that well over a thousand animals in both ours and surrounding communities depend on us to fill their bellies. Those numbers grow each month.
Please give them a like and show them some ❤️!
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063744122030&mibextid=LQQJ4d

06/05/2024

We would like to wish a big Happy Birthday to our Treasurer Cam Baer! Not only has Cam been with us from the very beginning but she is also active in the community in both fire and EMS companies! We are grateful to have the people in our community that continue to help us every month to continue our mission. We hope you have a very Happy Birthday Cam! ❤️❤️🎉🎂

03/05/2024

$17,000 in donations handed out to our program participants in two hours. A huge thank you to our program sponsors, volunteers, and the community who was very supportive by maintaining safe speeds on Route 34 while the program took place at North Middleton Fire Company and North Middleton Township properties.
Knisely's Pet and Farm Center
Harrisburg Off Leash K9 Training
North Middleton Fire Company
North Middleton Township
Amazon.com (PHL6 and MDT1 Staff)

If you are in need, please register at www.CVAAP.org using the signup for the “Individual” and you will receive notification of the next available pantry date when it is announced.

02/29/2024

Dear Cumberland Valley Animal Assistance Program Community,

As President of the Cumberland Valley Animal Assistance Program, I find it imperative to address a matter that has become increasingly prevalent within our organization and, indeed, across similar institutions nationwide. This concerns our policy on the acquisition of additional animals while receiving assistance from our program.

**Policy Overview:**

Our policy explicitly prohibits participants from acquiring, fostering, or otherwise obtaining any animals beyond those they are currently seeking assistance for while enrolled in our program. This guideline is not arbitrary; it is a crucial component of our mission to provide equitable and sustainable support to those in our care and their companion animals.

**Rationale Behind the Policy:**

1. **Resource Allocation:** Our resources are finite. Every case of additional animals acquired by participants stretches these resources thinner, ultimately reducing the assistance we can offer to others in need.
2. **Animal Welfare:** Our primary concern is the welfare of the animals under our care. Acquiring more animals without the means to support them jeopardizes their health and well-being. The goal of our program is to allow participants to allocate money otherwise spent on daily need items (food, litter etc) to be used for spay/neuter, routine/emergency vet care, licensing fees and other needed items.
3. **Equity:** This policy ensures fairness. It allows us to assist as many community members as possible without the benefits being disproportionately consumed by a few.

**National Context:**

Our policy mirrors a common practice among pet food pantries and animal assistance organizations throughout the country. A survey of similar programs reveals that the vast majority have established comparable guidelines to manage limited resources responsibly and to prioritize the well-being of the animals they serve. This approach is not unique to our organization but a reflection of a broader consensus on the best practices in animal welfare and assistance programs.

**Moving Forward:**

We understand that circumstances can change, and we encourage open communication with our team for guidance and support. Our policies are in place to ensure we can continue to serve our community effectively and responsibly. We appreciate your understanding and adherence to these guidelines, which are designed to benefit all participants and their beloved animals.

We are committed to our mission and to maintaining an environment of respect, support, and compassion for all. Thank you for your cooperation and for being a valued part of our community.

Sincerely,

Christopher Darhower-President
Cumberland Valley Animal Assistance Program

02/28/2024

All Participants- DO NOT provide someone else your email that you receive with notification for a pantry date. That is ONLY for you.
Anyone wanting to register for the pantry must go to www.CVAAP.org and register using the signup there for an individual. They will then receive their own emails and invites.
It is imperative that we keep accurate records of respondents and their animals.
Also, it has come to my attention that some are using false names and emails to collect additional donations as a way to thwart program rules pertaining to getting additional animals while enrolled. If caught, you will be removed from the program and permanently banned.
Last month, we spent nearly $2K on additional items needed for cats. That’s in addition to the donated cat items we receive. That is not a cost that we can maintain for any period of time, so we will be monitoring closely moving forward.
We recently signed a lease for storage at $800 monthly.
Fuel costs for the box truck are between $200-400 monthly.
The registration for the truck is nearly $800 annually.
I was blessed to be able to make the repairs to the coolant line last month on my own, which saved us some money, but still ran almost $200 in parts.
It’s due for inspection. I’m praying that it passes without major expenses.
I list these items for transparency and I’ll gladly share any financial reports if anyone has any questions. I’m committed to maintaining a clear and open record of expenses and ensuring that any funds we raise go back into the community.
A huge thank you to Troy Wiser who used his truck and trailer to personally go to York, PA to pickup 10 skids of dog food, stack, and cover them at my home and refused to accept any payment.
Without his help, we couldn’t have accomplished that.
Also thank you to Cindy for contacting us and getting us in contact to get the donation!
-Chris

Cumberland Animal Assistance Program is a Non-Profit created to assist animal owners in need with a monthly free pet food pantry.

01/29/2024

Reminder for our Cumberland County friends. Prices are going up and so are fines for not having your dog’s licensed. They will apparently be doing roaming checks, so it’s imperative that you ensure that you have licenses and shots updated!

01/28/2024

We stay focused on the blessing:
30,000+lbs of animal food and items handed out.
$1700 in cat food and litter purchased to support pantry needs by Courtney Myree Cavanaugh and Cam Baer using fundraising funds.
North Middleton Fire Company’s willingness to allow us to use their property and facilities.
North Middleton Township for letting us use roadways behind their buildings.
Yellow Breeches EMS continuing to help us with storage.
All of the volunteers who scrambled when the box truck broke down to use their vehicles to transport much-needed items to the pantry site.
Andy Henry (Chief 44) for the use of his trailer to haul skids.
Kniselys for all of their support.
Amazon MDT1 and PHL6 for all of their help and support.
It truly takes a village to do what we do. And I’m so thankful to be surrounded by amazing people and organizations who see the need and support the goals and growth. ❤️🐾❤️