Dec 17, 2020 3 min read

The Washington County Commissioners Wednesday discussed designating the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank as the recipient of approximately $280,000 in federal and state food aid.

In the past, the money has gone to Greater Washington County Food Bank.

County human services administrator Kimberly Rogers said the allocation would augment food for local residents who are hungry rather than replace what they are receiving through Greater Washington County Food Bank.

Commission Chairman Diana Irey Vaughan and Commissioner Nick Sherman said they have received many complaints from local food pantry clients who lacked transportation to consolidated sites.

Greater Washington County Food Bank formerly operated 22 pantries, but there are now nine serving several municipalities.

Commission Vice Chairman Larry Maggi asked about the Washington County organization, “Are they aware of this? We’ve been with them how many years now?”

Rogers said the Pittsburgh organization has offered to study the consolidation issue and also the best time to schedule food distributions, but recipients should see no immediate changes.

Donations and novel coronavirus relief for the unemployed to keep people from going hungry within Washington County have been substantial, Rogers said, although those who run the programs don’t use the term hungry, preferring to call their situation “food insecure.”

“They have the resources to continue doing what they’re doing,” Rogers said of Greater Washington County Food Bank.

A planning meeting is scheduled next week with the Washington County food bank and the Pittsburgh organization “about the transition and who’s doing what,” Rogers said.

Organizers will get together Monday.

“I don’t know what that transition might look like,” said Connie Burd, executive director of Greater Washington County Food Bank. “We will continue to operate in the way we always have until we’re given some instructions otherwise.

“We are called a partner distribution organization for Pittsburgh working under the auspices of Feeding America.”

Although truck-to-trunk food distribution has been instituted to minimize contact during the pandemic, Rogers said the feasibility of moving to sites that offer protection from inclement weather and refrigeration of fresh foods will also be discussed.

The Greater Pittsburgh organization, based in Duquesne, Allegheny County, partners with 11 counties, including Washington, in distributing federal food aid.

“They’ve always had a presence in our county,” Rogers said. “They’ve always supported us” in that food arrives at Greater Pittsburgh and goes out to Allegheny and other counties.

Burd said of the proposal, “We were really expecting that to happen.

“They will provide administration for the State Food Purchase Program and The Emergency Food Assistance Entitlement Program and administer that for Washington County.”

In addition to the consolidated food pantries, the local food bank directly serves more than 20 high rises around the county.

“This year we have put out almost eight million pounds of food,” Burd said.

Handing out pre-packed boxes of food instead of having participants choose donations grocery-store style is “equal and better,” Burd said.

She noted a distribution of food to Mon Valley residents that was to take place today in Charleroi has been moved to Wednesday of next week because of the snowstorm.

A call to Pittsburgh Food Bank spokesman Brian Gulish resulted in a message that his voice mailbox could not accept more messages. There was no response to an inquiry submitted via email to Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank’s website.

The organization has been distributing 50 pounds of pre-packed food at the Washington County Fairgrounds, 2151 North Main St., Washington, serving up to 600 vehicles by reservation. The next drive-up distribution is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 5, according to the website.