Produce to the People answers increasing need for food
WAYNESBURG – As gasoline prices make their way to $4 a gallon mark, the cost of virtually everything else is affected. That is especially true when it comes to groceries. Feeding a family, especially a large family, becomes increasingly difficult for those with a limited income.
If something is available at the store, chances are it arrived there by truck, and the cost of fuel for those trucks has forced trucking companies to pass rising operational costs on to consumers.
Fortunately, there are those who are reaching out to their neighbors with a helping hand.
“For several years, I tried to get a program started in the area that would provide assistance with feeding families more than just once a month, when the food vouchers can be claimed,” said Jan Caldwell, director of the Greene County Food Bank. “There is a tremendous need for this program, especially now, when you can’t afford the gas to get to the store. If you do get to the store, you can’t walk in and find what you want that you can afford.”
To address the growing need of the local community, the Produce to the People program has been implemented enabling those who meet income guidelines to receive food assistance.
“It truly changes you once you have been to one of these distributions and see who it is that is receiving the help,” said Anne Hawkins the chief development officer of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. “It is pretty heartbreaking that we are in America, and there are people lining up to receive food. We appreciate very much the awareness that your paper is giving to hunger and our program.”
Hawkins said that in today’s climate there are well-educated working class people and senior citizens who often times are too proud to reach out for the help that is out there.
“There are seniors who will cut their medications in half to make them last longer so that they can eat,” she said. “We want them to know that our program is out here to help them and that they are not alone in their need.”
She, Caldwell and Gawlas are all very pleased with the turnout thus far for the program in Greene County with basically just word of mouth advertising.
“Last month (April) we were able to serve 694 individuals, that includes each family member being counted,” said Caldwell. “This gives those who receive our services the opportunity to receive help in addition to the monthly boxes. Without the help of Greene County and the cooperation of the Department of Parks and Recreation I couldn’t do this.”
Items that participants received at the recent distribution were yogurt, bread, milk, juice, water, hash browns and gravy. Those items are subject to change each time.
Caldwell is part of a staff of three, herself and two part-time workers who are responsible for the operation of the food bank in Greene County.
During the April distribution Caldwell said that there were residents participating in the program from neighboring Fayette and Washington counties as well.
“They don’t have a program like ours in their community,” said Caldwell. “It is amazing when you think that little Greene County is the place that is helping the other larger communities. Pittsburgh is the closest program next to ours.”
In fact, the food items being distributed come from the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. They are shipped to the Greene County Fairgrounds via two tractor trailer loads. Caldwell and Val Gawlas, regional director of the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, which serves 11 counties in Southwest Pennsylvania estimated that 20,000 pounds of food had been distributed thus far.
“This county was not ready for the rapidly rising cost to feed a family,” Caldwell said. “The food bank got a grant through state Rep. (H. William) DeWeese, who has been a tremendous support to our food bank that enabled us to get a very large inside cooler to store food. Without him the food bank would have been shut down years ago. He gave us the financial resources to make so much more happen.”
Caldwell said that the cooler has enabled her to take in more food items at one time, allowing her to reach out to communities like Aleppo that are in the more rural areas of Greene County.
“Commissioners (Dave) Coder and (Pam) Snyder said that they may be able to help us to get boxes out to the outlying areas through the county’s transportation system,” she said. “That would be a big help for those who don’t have transportation. That is something that we won’t be able to address until the fall, but it is on the list.”
Caldwell said the goal is to hit central locations in each area of the county so that the food bank can reach the largest percentage of the population in need as possible.
The administrative needs aside, she and Gawlas said that things like the distribution at the fairground would not be possible without the grassroots volunteer movement of community members like Sister Audrey Quinn.
Sister Quinn took it upon herself to distribute flyers to area churches, coordinate volunteers and do all the leg work necessary to kick off the successful first month’s distribution, according to Caldwell.
“There was no problem getting volunteers,” said Sister Quinn. “Everyone that I asked was more than willing to help out. It has just been wonderful. Prices of food today are just so outrageous. We want as many people as possible to show up to get this food. If more people come out to receive the food, then we will get more next time from the Pittsburgh Food Bank, based on the number of people served.”
Sister Quinn explained that she is going to be reaching out to more groups to volunteer as the school year comes to a close.
“We are looking to the Scouts, youth groups, church groups, anyone who is willing to lend a hand,” she said. “The more the merrier to help us unload, organize and distribute the food.”
To volunteer to assist with the program contact Sister Quinn at 724-852-4323 or phone the Corner Cupboard Food Bank in Greene County at 724-627-9784.