Latest news with #GreaterPittsburghCommunityFoodBank
CBS News
03-07-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Westmoreland Food Bank says they won't be able to fill the gap left by loss of SNAP benefits
Westmoreland Food Bank says they won't be able to fill the gap left by loss of SNAP benefits Westmoreland Food Bank says they won't be able to fill the gap left by loss of SNAP benefits Westmoreland Food Bank says they won't be able to fill the gap left by loss of SNAP benefits The passing of President Trump's spending bill is expected to have a ripple effect among families who rely upon food assistance, and among those who will feel that effect are local food banks. According to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, the new spending bill will lead to nearly $300 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, otherwise known as SNAP. That would be the largest amount of funding cut in the history of the program. Westmoreland Food Bank CEO Jennifer Miller says she was paying close attention to the House of Representatives' vote Thursday to pass what Trump has dubbed his "big beautiful bill." Miller said her first response to the bill's passing was "a combination of fear, frustration and utter disbelief." Miller tells KDKA-TV removing SNAP would be devastating for families who previously received that assistance, and that strain would then be felt by the food banks. "For every meal that the food bank is able to provide, SNAP benefits provides nine meals, so that means people are going to be coming to us that have never come to the food banks before, looking for help to get a hand up so that they can make ends meet," said Miller. "We're not able to do that. We're not able to provide those nine missing meals." In total, more than 143,000 Pennsylvanians stand to lose their SNAP benefits, and Gov. Josh Shapiro says the commonwealth cannot backfill those federal cuts. "There's a real question as to whether or not we'd eve be able to operate SNAP any longer, given the change in the formula and given the people that are going to be knocked off," Shapiro said during a press conference on Monday. "[The bill] would have a devastatingly negative impact on Pennsylvania. I've been very outspoken about that, and really specific about the harm it would do to Pennsylvanians." "When it comes to having those benefits being taken away from vulnerable populations — not just families, but seniors, people with disabilities, so on — it is catastrophic," Miller said. With more families relying upon food banks to replace the meals they stand to lose, it also causes a chain reaction in communities across the state. Without SNAP assistance, that means fewer sales at local grocery stores, which could cause prices to rise. "Mom and pop shops that accept SNAP benefits, these benefits go back into the community, back into industry, back into the grocery store industry, drug stores, so on and so forth," said Miller. "It is a very scary time for everyone, and I'm just at a loss." Miller said Westmoreland Food Bank will continue to work on strategies to meet the increased demand, including fundraising and also continuing to rely on donations from the community.
CBS News
21-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and 412 Food Rescue join forces for U.S. Open food recovery
When it comes to big events like the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, it takes a massive effort to feed those in attendance. So much so, when the event ends, there are plenty of leftovers. That's where the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and 412 Food Rescue come in. Volunteers box up, pack, and collect food donations from the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank In coordination with Ridgewells Catering, the United States Golf Association, and Oakmont Country Club, they were able to collect more than 46,000 pounds of unused, leftover food from the tournament and get it to those in need. "Donations like these are critical in feeding the most vulnerable members of our community," said Holly Ramey, the Food Bank's food recovery programs manager. "Our hope is that more food vendors see the beauty in donating when they're finished with a large event. Food insecurity is at a record high in our region, and meals like these help our neighbors thrive." The food recovered included prepared meals and canned items that were brought back to the food bank to be sorted and distributed between both GPCFB and 412 Food Rescue. They were also able to take in non-food items, including plates, napkins, and silverware. "Event planners do a great job at ordering and preparing food for the anticipated crowds at big gatherings like the US Open," said Alyssa Cholodosky, CEO of 412 Food Rescue. "We know that there is always good food available to rescue after these types of events, and by working with our two organizations, the US Open is ensuring this food will instead go to serve neighbors facing food insecurity. The US Open is an iconic event, and their commitment to ensuring this positive impact in the community is very gratifying." This is the second time Ridgewells Catering has partnered with both organizations after the U.S. Open to ensure that the leftover food from the tournament is reused rather than discarded.
CBS News
18-06-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Pittsburgh students can still get free daily meals this summer
As the summer begins for students around the city of Pittsburgh, local leaders are working together to make sure every student has the opportunity to stay active and eat healthy outside of school. Anti-hunger advocates gathered in Allegheny Commons Park-East on Tuesday morning to kick off the Free Summer Meals program, an initiative backed by Mayor Ed Gainey's office and a number of local organizations, including Pittsburgh Public Schools, Citiparks, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and the American Dairy Association. All summer long, children 18 and under can receive daily meals free of charge with no restrictions at one of hundreds of sites across Allegheny County. The list of free summer meal sites can be found on the Pittsburgh Community Food Bank website. "Helping to eliminate food insecurity and feeding our children is very necessary because no child — no child — should go hungry," said Gainey. "Getting good food, nutritious food, should always be an objective that we want to acquire. That means that regardless of where you come from, everybody has a right to be able to eat morning, noon and night, which is why I think this program is a great one, especially since it picks up where the after-school program has left off." In Pennsylvania, 1.2 million people and one in eight children struggle with food insecurity, according to Feeding America. "Kids shouldn't have to worry about where their next meal is coming from, and last summer our partners served more than 400,000 meals to kids," said Val Morgan, child nutrition partnership specialist for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. "We hope to beat that this summer." That may be a modest goal, considering of the 20 million students eligible nationwide for free and reduced-price lunches during the school year, less than 5 million participated in last summer's program, leaving more than 75 percent of potential eligible students unserved. "There's one emergency that we have: that's a child not being fed," said Malik Hamilton, director of food services for Pittsburgh Public Schools, who serves more than 5 million meals to students per school year. "As soon as we hear that there might be somebody not getting fed, all work stops until we know that every child that is hungry has a meal in their hand to put in their belly." "During the summer months, access to healthy meals can make all the difference," said Dr. Wayne Walters, Pittsburgh Public Schools superintendent. "It helps keep children strong, focused and ready to learn when they return to the classroom in the fall." Among those present to lend their support was Pittsburgh Steelers' long snapper Christian Kuntz, a Chartiers Valley High School and Duquesne University alum. Kuntz helped pass out free lunches to the students at the park. "As a professional football player, nutrition has played a huge part in my life and career to this point, whether that was in high school, college and into the pros," said Kuntz. "I've had countless amounts of nutritionists, strength coaches, health teachers, advisors, parents that have guided me in the right direction to make the right choices in what I'm fueling my body with, and our kids are fueling their body with the same." Marburger Farm Dairy, based in Evans City, will provide cartons of milk for the free summer lunches, and they brought a calf, Miss Peanut, to meet the children. "As a first grade teacher and a mother of four, I know how important it is for students to have access to healthy school meals, packed with dairy so that we can be at our best throughout the day," said Nicole Ansell, a dairy farmer with Marburger. "Because of this, I also know how important access to meals in the summertime is for many students." Walters called the program "a vital initiative that ensures our students remain healthy, nourished and cared for, even when school is out." "For many of our students, school meals are more than just nourishment; they are a lifeline."
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SNAP cuts would mark largest rollback of food assistance in U.S. History, advocates said
(WTAJ) — A proposal under consideration in Congress could lead to the largest rollback of food assistance in U.S. history, and Pennsylvania hunger advocates said the consequences would be devastating. The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank is urging lawmakers to reject proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid as part of ongoing budget reconciliation talks. The food bank warns that the changes would reduce benefits for millions of Americans, shift costs to state governments, and force hard decisions such as limiting eligibility or raising taxes. Food bank officials say this is the worst possible time to cut SNAP, with nearly 50 million Americans facing food insecurity, the highest rate in more than a decade. They point to rising grocery prices and health care costs as reasons to strengthen, not shrink, support systems. The proposed legislation would restructure SNAP's funding model, placing more financial burden on individual states and threatening long-standing safety nets for low-income families, veterans, seniors and children. The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank is calling on Congress to protect SNAP and Medicaid, and pledges to work with leaders on policies that help communities across southwestern Pennsylvania thrive. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
As food insecurity grows and federal cuts loom, Pittsburgh food bank ramps up efforts to help
A new report from Feeding America shows 1 in 5 children in Southwestern Pennsylvania do not have enough to eat. Channel 11 checked in with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank to find out what's being done there and in various communities to help those in need. An unsettling upward trend of food insecurity is being reported in the 11 counties served by the Food Bank. The most recent data from Map The Meal Gap shows an increase in need across all demographics, including a significant spike in rates among children. 'You look at grocery prices, they're still high, cost of living is still high across the board, so it's all of those factors that are going into causing individuals to make very difficult choices,' said Brian Gulish, VP of marketing & communications for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Despite cuts in federal funding, the Food Bank is ramping up efforts to close the meal gap, a renewed effort to supplement the needs of families by adding 21 child nutrition partners in its service area. '…Working with school district partners, summer youth café programs, our partners in the community…we are putting the resources and the boots on the ground to make sure we can get the food in the communities,' Gulish said. The best ways you can help: donate, volunteer, and advocate for change, as the future remains uncertain for several federal programs. The Food Bank says that includes a loss of $1.5 million through the cancellation of the Local Food Purchasing Agreement (LFPA) program, as well as potential changes or cuts to SNAP benefits 'We are, right now, preparing for that proverbial double-edged sword: if our funding goes down, if the need goes up, we're going to see an increase in people coming to the food bank, and we are going to make sure we are here to serve our mission to the fullest,' Gulish said. RESOURCES: Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
