The Pittsburgh Foundation

Hunger appeal raises over $600,000 after “outstanding community response”

PITTSBURGH, Jan. 9, 2014  --  The Pittsburgh Foundation’s emergency community-wide appeal has raised $617,804 to help food banks in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties meet an unprecedented rise in demand.

In just four weeks spanning the holiday season, almost 1,400 individual donations were received at the Foundation’s on-line giving site at www.pittsburghgives.org. All contributions have been matched dollar-for-dollar, and the Foundation also covered credit card transaction fees.

The appeal was launched on December 10 as food banks in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties struggled to meet a critical upsurge in demand. According to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, demand in some local neighborhoods increased by up to 40 percent and the number of new households seeking assistance was averaging 3,200 per month.

Following the start of the Foundation’s on-line fundraising campaign, the first $100,000 in donations was received within 48 hours, and the Foundation then increased its match pool to $250,000. This was further increased after the appeal was chosen by Mayor Bill Peduto as the charitable beneficiary of events to celebrate his inauguration this week.

“This has truly been an outstanding community response to a dire situation,” said Grant Oliphant, the Foundation’s President and CEO following the closure of the appeal on Tuesday (Jan. 7, 2014). “I send my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to all who have generously supported our appeal to address this most essential of human needs.

“It is especially significant that so many, including many of the Foundation’s donors, stepped up at a time of year when traditionally there are many additional demands on family finances due to the holiday season. We are delighted with what has been a tremendous outpouring of support for our neighbors in need.”

Donations could be made to via the Foundation’s on-line platform to either the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank or Westmoreland County Food Bank or to any one of 15 local neighborhood food pantries listed on the site. The Foundation paid the approximately three percent credit card fees charged by the vendor, ensuring all gifts went towards the appeal.

Of the $308,902 received in donations, the Foundation’s donors contributed more than $130,000 from their funds at the organization. All contributions have gone towards helping to put food on the tables of many thousands of individuals and families in the Pittsburgh region.

Of the total raised, approximately $53,000 was designated to the Westmoreland County Food Bank located in Delmont which serves 7,200 households per month. The balance went to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank which serves 34,000 households monthly and to local food pantries.

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