7-12-2025 4:20am

Zuber Realty's Annual Veteran Food Drive Collects and Delivers Donations

Lesley Misko Editor

Zuber Realty agents (from left) Vanessa Deskie and Lee Heffner with associate broker Connie Dolansky at the organization's annual "Stuff the Bus" veterans food drive at Redner's Food Market.

by Jane Stahl

“It’s full!” exclaimed Betsy Bellantoni, real estate agent with Zuber Realty, at the organization’s “Stuff the Bus” event at Redner’s Market in Boyertown recently to benefit Berks County veterans. “People came purposely with boxes of food this morning. We’ve been busy!”

Zuber Realty's agent Betsy Bellantoni cheerfully accepts donations for the veterans' food drive.

The problem—if one can consider it a problem—was that it was 11 a.m., and the bus was scheduled to collect non-perishable food and toiletry items until 2 p.m. Contributions continued with shoppers adding, cash, checks, and gift cards to the mounds of non-perishables, making the 2025 food drive the most successful to date.

Agent Vanessa Deskie and husband Richard collect donations at Redner's Food Market to benefit Berks County veterans.

Rich Zuber, owner of Richard A. Zuber Realty, is on hand to help collect donations for veterans.

Photograph/graphic by Amy Muzopappa of Muzo Media Productions

Vanessa Deskie, Zuber Realty’s real estate advisor coordinating the event, expressed her gratitude for the generosity of the community, saying, “"I want to thank everyone who contributed--those who helped man our food drive or those who contributed or BOTH! Everyone did a fantastic job. The drive was a success; any time you have others give so freely of their time and money, it is a success." Agent Vanessa Deskie coordinates the project each year to honor her own family's multi-generational military service that dates back to the Civil War.

Richard A. Zuber Realty wrapped up its month-long annual food drive for veterans by adding items from the offices and delivering them to the non-profit organization Veterans Making a Difference headquarters at Veteran Social Center, 645 N. 6th Street, Reading, PA. The organization is dedicated to helping veterans in need in Berks County.

Top: Lee Heffner adds boxes. Middle: Rich Zuber directs the efforts from JD Stahl and Leff Heffner. Bottom: from left: Richard Zuber, agents Lee Heffner and Vanessa Deskie with associate broker Connie Dolansky and volunteer JD Stahl add items to the bus for delivery to Veterans Making a Difference.

At Veterans Making a Difference headquarters, the volunteers celebrate another successful food drive.

Rich Zuber (far left) and Lee Heffner (far right) join Doug and Liz Graybill, (in bright red), founders of Veterans Making a Difference, and volunteers at the non-profit's headquarters in Reading, PA.

The “Stuff the Bus” event is an annual highlight of the Zuber Realty’s month-long food drive. Items were collected at Zuber Realty’s Boyertown and Royersford offices throughout the month of June with special collection days during Berks-Mont Business Association’s annual Philadelphia Avenue Street Fair and on June 21, 2025, at Boyertown’s Redner’s Market.