Jun 19, 2026 By Mike Jones 4 min read

Nearly six years after Washington County steered their financial aid from the local food bank in favor of the larger organization in Pittsburgh, the money is coming back home.

The commissioners voted Thursday to direct the county’s state-allocated funds to the Greater Washington County Food Bank and designating it the primary provider of food assistance in the county.

Commissioners Nick Sherman and Larry Maggi voted in favor of returning the $325,000 in state and federal aid to Greater Washington, while Commissioner Electra Janis abstained because she is a member of the non-profit’s board.

Sherman and then-board chairwoman Diana Irey Vaughan voted in December 2020 to change the designation to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, while Maggi opposed the move. At the time, Sherman and Irey Vaughan raised concerns about the Washington County Food Bank’s performance and thought using the Pittsburgh organization would improve distribution.

The annual allotment of more than $300,000 to Greater Pittsburgh was used by that non-profit to help feed people in Washington County, although the commissioners indicated at the time they might eventually move the funding back to the local food bank.

Since then, there have been changes in Greater Washington’s leadership and an overhauled board has apparently improved the organization as it continued to operate in the county.

“I will always be in favor of keeping local control for funding,” Maggi said. “I think the Washington County food bank has come a long way and is capable of handling this distribution and is better suited to handle our needs in Washington County.”

Sherman, who was in favor of moving the money to Pittsburgh and having that food bank handle the bulk of distribution here, said there were “glaring issues” with the Washington County food bank at the time, especially in the midst of the pandemic. But times have changed and the local food bank has made improvements, and he had always hoped to bring the state-allocated money back to Greater Washington.

“At the end of the day, it’s imperative that we’re feeding people who are hungry,” Sherman said.

“They have come such a long way,” Janis said, adding she has organized two fundraisers for the food bank, raising $80,000. “It has been such an issue near and dear to my heart.”

Greater Washington County Food Bank Board Chairman Kenneth Kulak and several other board members spoke during public comment before Thursday’s vote and told the commissioners they are in a much different place than they were nearly six years ago. He said they plan to expand distribution locations, create more pantries, improve emergency responses, and strengthen community partnerships.

“We are a different organization from six years ago with a new leadership team and an expanded board of 19 county stakeholders,” Kulak said. “We are county residents, we are business owners, we are friends and we are neighbors that live among those we service. Which makes us a tangible presence in the lives of those we serve. We are ready.”

Following the vote to allocate the money to Greater Washington, Kulak thanked the commissioners and told them they would be ready to work for the community.

“We’re tangible people,” Kulak said. “You know how to get a hold of us.”

Some pantries in the county have raised concerns about the change, but Kulak said they would be ready to work with them and expand distribution. Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank spokeswoman Christa Johnson said Thursday they will continue to service Washington County and assist the community.

“Our commitment to Washington County remains strong,” she said in a written statement. “We look forward to continuing our work with local partners and community leaders. Together, we will keep finding new ways to support our neighbors and strengthen access to food and other essential resources.”