Westmoreland County Food Bank

Direct beneficiaries per year: 31,000 people

Programs: The Westmoreland County Food Bank (WCFB) has been a beacon of hope for thousands of food insecure households throughout the county for more than three decades. Established in March 1982, the Food Bank distributed 2,000 pounds of food in its first year of operation. Today, the organization supplies well over 7,000,000 pounds of food annually to residents via a network of partner agencies situated throughout Westmoreland County. Located in Delmont, WCFB has a staff of 24 individuals and relies heavily on the more than 7,000 volunteers that contribute nearly 100,000 total hours of service each year. During the first 18 years of operation, the Westmoreland County Food Bank functioned as a partner distribution organization of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Then in 2000, after a rigorous certification process, WCFB achieved affiliate status from Feeding America – the premier nationwide network of food banks. More than a decade later, in 2012, the Westmoreland County Food Bank passed the meticulous inspection process overseen by the Association of International Bakers which maintains private standards for good manufacturing practices and prerequisites and food safety programs. The Food Bank has continued to seamlessly pass these inspections with impeccable reviews. WCFB not only strives to be a leader in food banking, but also achieves the highest in industry standards while serving the community. Finally, the Westmoreland County Food Bank works diligently to maintain operational accountability and fiscal responsibility. In addition to meeting the credentials required to be a Feeding America member and secure AIB certification, the Food Bank has also achieved accreditation in the Standards for Excellence via the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO) membership. Furthermore, the organization recently achieved the highly-coveted four-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator. In addition to the aforementioned affiliations, the Westmoreland County Food Bank is also active with state associations Feeding Pennsylvania and Hunger-Free Pennsylvania, as well as the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Hunger in Westmoreland County In 2013, the Westmoreland County Food Bank conducted a survey in conjunction with Feeding America to evaluate the state of food insecurity within the county. From this assessment came the Hunger in America 2014 report for the Westmoreland County Food Bank. The study, conducted every four years since 1993, is the most comprehensive examination of hunger in the country. The investigation aimed to gather information from clients served through the Feeding America network in order to determine the number and characteristics of the clients who access charitable food assistance. Among those receiving food from pantries and programs coordinated through WCFB, approximately one-third (32.0%) of all respondents were ages 30-49 and had between two and three members per household. Surprisingly, education did not preclude individuals from needing food assistance as illustrated by the questionnaire results, with more than 82 percent having obtained a high school diploma, equivalent, or post-secondary education. While the economy has rebounded in recent years, many are still struggling to make ends meet as demonstrated by the increased demand for food in Westmoreland County. These two traits were factors cited by many respondents who sought food assistance. This was also visible by the number of duplicated clients served – households returning each month for food assistance or accessing multiple programs for aid. Within Westmoreland County, the Food Bank’s clients are reached 4,600 times in a given week or 240,600 times annually. Overall, the hunger study reported that 87 percent of households examined were food insecure. These families are forced to make difficult decisions based on limited income and consequently, food is not a priority. From the study, WCFB further learned that each month: • 12 percent must choose between paying for food or their mortgage/rent expenses, • 25 percent must choose between paying for food or medical expenses, including prescription costs, and • 29 percent must choose between paying for food or household utility expenses. The Westmoreland County Food Bank works diligently to support these households so that they do not need to make the difficult decision as to whether they must sacrifice food over these other pressing needs. Programs and Services The 2014 Hunger in America study re-affirmed the Westmoreland County Food Bank mission of providing food to those in the community who are hungry or are at-risk of being hungry. The ultimate goal of the agency is to eliminate hunger among vulnerable persons in the county. However, there is a great deal that must still be done to increase access and awareness for charitable food and non-food assistance programs in order to eliminate or reduce this problem altogether. For this reason, the work of the Westmoreland County Food Bank continues to be so crucial. In order to effectively serve the community, the Westmoreland County Food Bank follows a “push” method in food banking. This practice is driven by the Food Bank to distribute commodities to pantries, rather than allowing pantries to select the items that they want to supply to clients. As a result, the organization is able to minimize costs and increase the amount of food being delivered to households in need. Beyond supplying pantries with food, the Food Bank also offers an array of food distribution programs that support specific groups throughout Westmoreland County. Such programs include the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP/Senior Food Box Program), a federally-funded program administered by the PA Department of Agriculture, which provides approximately 1,350 low-income seniors, age 60 and over, with food. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), a federally-funded program administered by the PA Department of Education, ensures that roughly 400 needy children receive nutritional breakfasts and lunches during the summer months when they are not in school. Operation Fresh Express (OFE) supplies extra perishable and close-date items to households receiving food from local pantries. Not only does this program supplement the monthly food box, but also strives to eliminate food waste by retailers, manufacturers, and the Food Bank. Finally, WCFB was able to secure funding to reactivate the weekend Backpack Program in 2015. This program supplies two days of meals to nearly 120 children from three schools within Westmoreland County (Derry Middle School, Monessen Elementary, and Ramsay Elementary). The children are eligible to receive the meal packs based on household income as determined by their enrollment in the National School Lunch Program. The program combats child hunger by supplying children with meals for the weekend when they are not in school. In addition to food distribution programs, the Westmoreland County Food Bank partners with Penn State Nutrition Links to deliver the Super Cupboard Program. This unique five-week program serves families with children under the age of 20 receiving food from local pantries and demonstrates how to prepare nutritional and appetizing meals with the items they typically receive in the monthly food box. Finally, the Westmoreland County Food Bank secured a grant through Feeding America in 2015 to launch SNAP outreach. For this service, a dedicated staff person educates the community on SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly food stamps) benefits and eligibility, as well as provides application assistance. In all, these programs work to ensure households have ample food and do not go hungry. Conclusion The most critical resource needed for the Westmoreland County Food Bank to successfully serve the community is the availability of funds. Approximately 40 percent of all food products distributed by WCFB to pantries are donated items from local retailers like Giant Eagle, Walmart, Sam’s Club, and more. However, the majority of food distributed by the Westmoreland County Food Bank must be purchased. Not only does the organization rely heavily on funding to purchase food items which are then distributed to the community, but also to meet the costs associated with storing and transporting such items to pantry locations throughout the county. A portion of this funding is acquired each year via government programs such as the Emergency Food and Shelter Program, State Food Purchase Program, Summer Food Service Program, and the Commodity and Supplemental Food Program. In recent years, there have been significant cutbacks to these funding streams. Additionally, the 2015-16 budget stalemate in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania had withheld nearly $400,000 in funds to the Food Bank for over six months seriously affecting the organization’s cash flow. Due to these uncontrollable and ongoing trends, WCFB must turn to other avenues to raise the funds essential to meet the demands of the community. This year, the Westmoreland County Food Bank projects that approximately $775,000 is needed to purchase food commodities which will be distributed to those seeking charitable food assistance. Being a member of the Feeding America network affords the organization the benefit of purchasing food through the Choice System. This access allows the Food Bank to purchase ten dollars in retail food value for every dollar – maximizing the funds raised by the organization ten-fold. Furthermore, the agency is able to return 95 cents of every dollar raised to the clients seeking assistance as reported in the 2014 financial report. The Westmoreland County Food Bank maximizes all resources to efficiently serve 7,200 households each month.