PITTSBURGH — WPXI’s 11 Cares and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank launched a fundraising drive two weeks ago to support local families facing food insecurity during the federal government shutdown.
As of Friday morning, more than $2,000 had been donated.
While $2,000 may not seem like it goes far at the grocery store, every dollar donated to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank provides food for three meals. That means the drive has helped supply over 6,000 meals to families across the region.
“What I love about Pittsburgh is how generous the community is,” said Lisa Scales, President and CEO of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. “This was a time where everyone came together during the recent crisis of the government shutdown and the state budget impasse… to support our efforts.”
Although the federal government shutdown has ended, SNAP benefits are once again being funded, and the state budget has passed, food bank officials say the need has not slowed down.
During the federal government shutdown and the delay in SNAP benefits earlier this month, the food bank saw an immediate spike in need, including many first-time recipients seeking assistance. Even as operations return to normal, demand remains historically high.
“Just last week alone, we distributed 1.2 million pounds of food, the most food we’ve distributed in one week in our history,” Scales said.
“It’s the largest week that we’ve had as an organization out of our warehouse, this existing week we’re going to be at almost one million pounds as well, which would have been a record if it hadn’t been for last week,” added Justin Lee, Chief Operating Officer with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.
This time of year is always busy for the food bank as Thanksgiving and the holidays approach. The organization serves nearly 300,000 families across 11 counties in the region, and officials say donations are critical to helping ensure families can celebrate the holiday season with a full table.
“To the folks who are donating, it’s going to people in need,” Lee said. “Thanksgiving and the holidays are so fixed around a meal, and we want to make sure families can enjoy their time together as well.”
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
©2025 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XCUXZC2XYZHCRGNNGKFEX6U3LQ.png)
