The Pittsburgh Foundation

Community-wide Appeal to meet sharp rise in demand at local food banks

The Pittsburgh Foundation creates match fund of $100,000

PITTSBURGH, Dec. 10, 2013  --  The Pittsburgh Foundation today launched a major community-wide appeal to help food banks in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties meet a critical upsurge in demand during the holiday season.

The Foundation has established a matching fund initially of $100,000 and has opened its online charitable giving platform at PittsburghGives  – created to host the region’s annual Day of Giving – to receive credit card donations. All contributions will be matched dollar-for-dollar, and the Foundation will cover credit card transaction fees.

Including the matching fund, the Foundation plans to raise a minimum of $200,000 during the three week period up to Dec. 31, 2013 to help local food banks and neighborhood food pantries serve increasing numbers of families and individuals facing hardship during the holidays.  Additional contingency funds have been set aside by the Foundation to boost its match pool if required.

According to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, demand in some local neighborhoods increased last month by up to 40 percent compared with Nov. 2012, and the Westmoreland County Food Bank – which reports that one in six of the population in its service area now qualifies for food assistance – is experiencing an overall rise in demand of approximately 13 percent.

“It is disturbing and distressing to all of us that so many of our neighbors are unable to put food on their tables, especially at this time of year,” said Grant Oliphant, president and CEO of The Pittsburgh Foundation. “Food banks and pantries are being overwhelmed by spikes in demand and I strongly urge our community to do what we do so well – join together to help meet this critical need.”

Starting today and until midnight December 31 donors can give to the appeal by accessing the Foundation’s online site at www.PittsburghGives.org and contributing either directly to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank or Westmoreland County Food Bank, or to any of 15 local neighborhood food pantries and affiliate organizations listed on the site. The site requires credit card donations of a minimum of $25, and the Foundation will pay the three percent transaction fees charged by the vendor, ensuring that all gifts go to the appeal.

The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank serves over 110,000 individuals – approximately half of whom are children and senior citizens – and 34,000 households monthly in its 11-county service area. The number of new households seeking assistance is averaging 3,200 per month, and demand has been increasing steadily since earlier this year.

“But the uptick in November was very significant, even when we account for the usual increase we expect at this time of year,” said Lisa Scales, CEO with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. “Most of the people we serve are parents with young children, senior citizens, veterans and people with disabilities. One in three people in the City of Pittsburgh are now living below the poverty line and qualify for food assistance.”

The Westmoreland County Food Bank, located at Delmont, Pa., is considering reducing the size of food boxes distributed to individuals and families in order to cope with increased demand. “The increase is much more dramatic this year,” said Kris Douglas, CEO with the Westmoreland County Food Bank, which currently serves 15,000 individuals and 7,200 households per month.

“We are one of the richest nations in the world and there is a misconception about what the face of hunger really looks like. Most of the people we serve are the working poor. Even though they have jobs, they are not earning enough to feed themselves and their families.”

Food bank officials believe that the sharp rise in demand last month was prompted partly by the expiration on November 1 of a boost to the Federal Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program (SNAP/food stamps) that was introduced as part of the U.S. Government’s stimulus package in 2009. Of those receiving SNAP benefits, 43 percent are children.

For a four-person household, the cut in SNAP benefits reduces assistance by $36 per month – equivalent to 21 fewer meals, according to a unit meal cost formula operated by the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, placing greater dependence on food banks and neighborhood pantries.