Community Spotlight June 2024: Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank

An Interview with Lisa Scales, LP XXVII – President & CEO of Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank

Q: Tell us about the mission and vision of Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

A: Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank’s mission is simple but profound: to leverage the power of community to achieve lasting solutions to hunger and its root causes. We envision communities where everyone has access to the food and resources they need to thrive. Headquartered in Duquesne, the Food Bank’s reach extends widely through more than 1,000 partners we work with to distribute food to people who are food insecure in 11 counties in southwestern PA. Last year, our food distribution, outreach and support efforts resulted in the equivalent of 42 million meals provided to our community. 

Q: Please share a specific community issue that the Food Bank addresses through its work. How is the organization moving that issue forward?

A: The core of the Food Bank’s work revolves around reducing food insecurity in our region. Food insecurity is the condition of not having access to sufficient food, or food of an adequate quality, to meet basic needs. An estimated 1 in 8 individuals in our region face food insecurity—these are challenging times for our neighbors. In response, the Food Bank is focused on meeting immediate food needs of our neighbors with a special focus on increasing access to service points closer to where people live and work. We are assessing gaps in service and working closely with communities to co-create solutions to food insecurity that are unique for each area.    

Q: What are your greatest opportunities as an organization to increase your impact?

A: Nationally and locally, food banking is in a moment of transformation. The COVID-19 pandemic required the Food Bank to innovate and serve our community differently. Our service over the last four years has enabled countless learnings, most notably that we and our network of partners have an opportunity to do more to assist neighbors seeking food assistance with other factors impacting the household including employment, transportation, childcare, financial assistance and more. Providing much needed food assistance will always be the core of our work, but we have a great opportunity to connect more individuals to other forms of assistance and services to help our neighbors thrive.

Q: How can community members support the mission and vision of Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank?

A: The most important word in the name of our organization is community—it truly takes a community to ensure that all of our neighbors have enough food to live healthy lives. You can get involved with the Food Bank by supporting our mission financially, getting involved as a volunteer and advocating to our elected officials to support strong policies that address food insecurity on the local, state and federal levels.

Please visit pittsburghfoodbank.org to learn more, email info@pittsburghfoodbank.org, or call 412-460-3663 to get involved.

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