MISSION: PITTSBURGH
Mission: Pittsburgh aims to connect sources of overflow to people and communities who need it most. By working with partners and leaders who intimately know their communities we can serve deeper and with more intention.
WHY WE FIGHT FOR FOOD SECURITY
Many people ask us the question “what is food insecurity”. It is not simply people having no food—it is a lack of access to quality food due to living in a food desert, it is a lack of financial resources to purchase healthy food, leading family to make tough decisions of paying necessary bills vs buying food.
Food insecurity simply means, a family unit is not secure in being able to provide quality, healthy food. This is shown to lead to (among other things) physical and mental health issues in both adults and children.
Our fight against food insecurity began in March of 2020 when the first wave of COVID shutdowns happened. We purchased $120 worth of supplies and worked with partners to make and pass out sandwiches. Through many iterations, trial and error, and listening to the needs of our partners, we now use what we call the “Storehouse” model to continue meeting the needs of the communities we serve.
THE STOREHOUSE
“a building for storing provisions.” or “an abundant supply or source.”
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Our model was taken from years of experience in the disaster relief. Studies have shown that relief is best distributed through local, community-based partners who know the community members personally. Leaders who will be there long afterward to provide follow up and continued care if necessary. We do the same with fighting food insecurity.
We partner with hyper-focused community leaders who know the individual needs of their communities. They know the families by name, wave hello as they pass on the street, and they are there for continued follow up and help as time goes on. We stock our Storehouses with provisions for our partners, get those provisions to them, and allow them to distribute when it is best.
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Those distributions happen in person at pick-up locations and sometimes even door to door. We firmly believe this is the most effective way to get healthy, high-quality food to the people who desperately need it.
Our Impact And Reach Of Local Food Distributions
The Storehouse is at the center of everything we do in our fight against food insecurity in the Pittsburgh Area. $35 a month helps us purchase 115lb of food and it is our goal to provide a sustainable and consistent supply for our partners from the Fort Pitt Tunnels to Beaver Falls.
Supplying our community partners with nutrient-rich and accessible food for their community is a worthwhile mission. When you donate we can supply more food to more partners which equals more communities that have access to healthy food.
A CITY CONNECTED SO TIGHTLY, THAT NOT ONE PERSON IS LEFT BEHIND.
FAMILY GARDENS
As we look to the future of our region, we must look beyond the problems and begin to ask “what are the solutions.”
We do not believe in leaving people where they are and continuing to just address the problem forever. To use the old adage, we understand the need to “give a man a fish,” but also the absolute necessity to “teach the man to fish.”
Our first push forward is our Family Garden Programs. We take individual families and work with them to grow their own healthy food. We walk with them every step of the way, from seed time through harvest, and give continued resources of how to prepare and use the food. We believe it is vital to give people the opportunity to see beyond their current situation, and realize there is help available to “learn to fish.”
READY TO HELP THE STEEL CITY?
The leaders we partner with work tirelessly to better the lives of their community members and we want to support them in every way possible. Their passion and your generousity fuel our missions, because when you make a one-time donation, join our group of monthly donors, or volunteer you are providing life-changing support.
Because you choose to invest, we can bridge the gap and break cycles of food insecurity and provide resources to communities in need around the world.
If you would like to be a part of supporting this ongoing project to fight food insecurity in our city, you can join THE COLLECTIVE, our monthly giving community. Learn more by clicking the button below!