IMPORTANT IN FOOD DESERTS LIKE HOMEWOOD SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS A STRAWBERRY CAN BRING SO MUCH JOY THE MOST POWERFUL THING WAS WHEN WE SHOWED UP THERE WAS A LITTLE GIRL SITTING ON THE STEPS AND BEFORE I COULD EVEN LEAVE THE HOUSE. SHE HAD TAKEN THE STRAWBERRIES OUT OF THE BOX WASH THEM OFF AND WAS STRAWBERRIES BECAUSE SHE JUST LOVES STRAWBERRIES AND THAT WAS JUST A BEAUTIFUL MOMENT TO ME AND YOU KNOW, JUST WHAT IT MEANS TO PEOPLE RIGHT LIKE BECAUSE A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE LOST JOBS WALTER LOUIS IS THE CEO OF HOMEWOOD CHILDREN’S VILLAGE THE GROUP PARTNERS WITH THE GREATER PITTSBURGH COMMUNITY FOOD BANK. HE DELIVERS HEALTHY FOOD TO FAMILIES IN THE HOMEWOOD AREA. THIS FOOD WAS A LIFESAVER TO A LOT OF FAMILIES. WE’VE HEARD FOLKS SAY LIKE IF BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T HAVE CARS OR TRANSPORTATION, THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE DONE IF IT WASN’T FOR SOM OF THE FOOD DISTRIBUTION BIBLE. OUR CHURCH HAS TRANSFORMED ITS BUILDING INTO A FOOD DISTRIBUTION CENTER AND MAKES DELIVERIES STEVEN DAVIS IS A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH THAT HAS PARTNERED WITH THE FOOD BANK AS WELL DURING TOUGH TIMES. YOU HAVE THE OPTION TO EITHER LAY DOWN OR DECIDE TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT SO OUR FOOD DISTRIBUTION THREE DAYS A WEEK. WE’RE SERVING ROUGHLY 270 FAMILIES EACH DAY TO MILLS. DAVID SAYS HOMEWOOD IS A FOOD DESERT A COMMUNITY THAT LACKS RESOURCES LIKE GROCERY STORES WITH FRESH PRODUCE WORRY. OASIS IN A DESERT COMMUNITY AND SO OUR GOAL IS TO SERVICE THE COMMUNITY WITH WHATEVER IT NEEDS LEWIS SAYS WHEN HE MAKES DELIVERIES, HE ALSO MAKES FRIENDS WHO WANT TO KEEP THE SPIRIT OF GIVING GOING PROBABLY MY FAVORITE MOMENT IS DELIVERED A MEAL TO A MOM AND THEN LATER. I GOT A TEXT MESSAGE SAYING HEY, I KNOW IF SOMEONE ELSE WHO’S IN NEED OF FOOD. ARE WE ABLE TO HELP THEM AND FIRST I WAS EXCITED BECAUSE SHE SAID WE AND I’M LIKE, YES LIKE THIS IS US LIKE WE’RE IN THIS TOGETHER. WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS JUST BE HUMAN. THE WAY THAT WE’RE DOING IT, RIGHT LIKE WE ALL NEED FOOD AND IT COULD BE ME TOMORROW. IT COULD BE YOU TOMORROW AND WORKERS AT THE FOOD BANK. SAY THEY PLAN TO TAKE THEIR SERVICE TO THE NEXT LEVEL. WE HAVE A VERY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT COMING NEXT WEEK. THAT’S REALLY BASED ON OUR STRATEGIC VISION THAT DATES BACK TO STARTED IN 2015 AND REALLY A 10-YEAR VISION FOR THE FOOD BANK TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY IN A DIFFERENT WAY. WE’LL BE LEARNING MORE ABOUT THAT INITIATIVE SOON, AND WE’LL BRING YOU ALL OF THE INFORMATION REPORTING IN HOME. WOULD CHANDI CHAPMAN PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS 4. ALL RIGHT, SO JUST A REMINDER IS THIS WEEK OF GIVING CONTINUES BUT IT IS ABOUT TO WRAP UP A COUPLE OF WAYS YOU CAN DONATE YOU CAN TEXT FOR HUNGER 250 155. THAT’S THE NUMBER FOR HU NGER OR YOU CAN GIVE ONLINE AND PITTSBURGH F
Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank partners with groups to make a difference
The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank helps people in food deserts, like Homewood.
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Updated: 3:35 PM EDT Sep 18, 2020
The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank helps people in the Pittsburgh area, but they don't do it alone. Different organizations pitch in and make deliveries.Something as simple as a strawberry can bring so much joy."The most powerful thing was when we showed up, there was a little girl sitting on the steps, and before I could even leave the house, she had taken the strawberries out of the box, washed them off and was eating strawberries because she just loved strawberries," said Walter Lewis, CEO of Homewood Children's Village. "That was just a beautiful moment to me, and what it means to people, because a lot of folks have lost jobs."Homewood Children's Village partners with Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Lewis delivers healthy food to families in the Homewood area."This food was a lifesaver to a lot of families. We've heard folks say, because they didn't have cars or transportation, they wouldn't have known what they would have done if it wasn't for some of the food distribution," said Lewis.Bible Center Church has transformed its building into a food distribution center and makes deliveries. Stephan Davis is a member of the church that has partnered with the food bank as well."During tough times you have the option to either lay down or decide to do something different," said Davis. "Our food distribution is three days a week. We are serving roughly 270 families each day, two meals."Davis said Homewood is a food desert, which is a community that lacks resources such as grocery stores with fresh produce."We're an oasis in a desert community, and so our goal is to service the community with whatever it needs," said Davis.Lewis said when he makes deliveries, he also makes friends who want to keep the spirit of giving going.Lewis said, "Probably my favorite moment is I delivered a meal to a mom, and then later I got a text message saying, 'Hey I know of someone else who is in need of food. Are we able to help them?' First I was excited because she said 'we,' and I'm like, yes, this is us, we are in this together.""What we try to do is just be human in the way that we are doing it, right? Like, we all need food and it could be me tomorrow, it could be you tomorrow," said Lewis.Workers at the food bank say they plan to take their service to the next level."We have a very special announcement coming next week that's really based on our strategic vision that started in 2015, a 10-year vision for the food bank to serve the community in a different way," said Charla Irwin-Buncher, chief development officer at the food bank.Pittsburgh's Action News 4 will update the story once more information about the initiative is available.
PITTSBURGH — The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank helps people in the Pittsburgh area, but they don't do it alone. Different organizations pitch in and make deliveries.
Something as simple as a strawberry can bring so much joy.
"The most powerful thing was when we showed up, there was a little girl sitting on the steps, and before I could even leave the house, she had taken the strawberries out of the box, washed them off and was eating strawberries because she just loved strawberries," said Walter Lewis, CEO of Homewood Children's Village. "That was just a beautiful moment to me, and what it means to people, because a lot of folks have lost jobs."
Homewood Children's Village partners with Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Lewis delivers healthy food to families in the Homewood area.
"This food was a lifesaver to a lot of families. We've heard folks say, because they didn't have cars or transportation, they wouldn't have known what they would have done if it wasn't for some of the food distribution," said Lewis.
Bible Center Church has transformed its building into a food distribution center and makes deliveries. Stephan Davis is a member of the church that has partnered with the food bank as well.
"During tough times you have the option to either lay down or decide to do something different," said Davis. "Our food distribution is three days a week. We are serving roughly 270 families each day, two meals."
Davis said Homewood is a food desert, which is a community that lacks resources such as grocery stores with fresh produce.
"We're an oasis in a desert community, and so our goal is to service the community with whatever it needs," said Davis.
Lewis said when he makes deliveries, he also makes friends who want to keep the spirit of giving going.
Lewis said, "Probably my favorite moment is I delivered a meal to a mom, and then later I got a text message saying, 'Hey I know of someone else who is in need of food. Are we able to help them?' First I was excited because she said 'we,' and I'm like, yes, this is us, we are in this together."
"What we try to do is just be human in the way that we are doing it, right? Like, we all need food and it could be me tomorrow, it could be you tomorrow," said Lewis.
Workers at the food bank say they plan to take their service to the next level.
"We have a very special announcement coming next week that's really based on our strategic vision that started in 2015, a 10-year vision for the food bank to serve the community in a different way," said Charla Irwin-Buncher, chief development officer at the food bank.
Pittsburgh's Action News 4 will update the story once more information about the initiative is available.
