Southwestern Pennsylvania Food Security Partnership
Parent OrganizationSouthwestern Pennsylvania Food Security Partnership
Options: Vision, Mission and/or Purpose of OrganizationThe SW PA Food Security Partnership's overall goal is to collaborate with local agencies, programs and individuals to reduce hunger significantly by 2015 in our 12-county region comprised of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland Counties.
We also encourage organizations/agencies to ask participants/clients if they need assistace with food and assist them in enrolling them in SNAP. We provide on-site training in these procedures to ensure privacy and dignity through their existing relationship.
History of Organization:In September 2010, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Food Security Partnership was created, when a group of volunteers from all walks of life in our region joined a task force dedicated to the proposition that 370,000 people confronting food insecurity in our region is unacceptable, from any ethical or practical
perspective.
They spent the first six months developing a comprehensive action plan to attack the growing problem. The plan includes five goals to be met by 2015: increase access to and utilization of public and private food assistance programs; buuild broad community engagement in ending hunger; advocate for strong public policy surrounding hunger relief; partner with other social service providers to assress the larger issues of poverty; and ensure more efficient administration of systems and resources.
We know intuitively that poverty can cause hunger. What we too often fail to realize is that hunger can also cause poverty. Adults who are hungry are unable to compete effectively for jobs, and unable to perform their jobs effectively when they are employed. Children who are hungry cannot compete successfully in school; they face failure and underachievement, and they move into adulthood facing a life of poverty. And elders who are hungry face a cycle of illness and dependency. Therefore hunger is an economic issue as well as a humanitarian issue. By reducing hunger and food insecurity we can improve the overall living conditions in our region.
The Partnership was formed to collaborate with county representatives to identify barriers to food access and come up with solutions locally. The overall goal is to reduce hunger by 2015, and to establish the means to continue to reduce hunger in the years that follow. Efforts to reduce hunger and food insecurity include access to food, production and distribution of food items, employment, training programs, education, transportation, day care, health services, the environment, etc. All are welcome, and crucial, to working together to ensure our region is as productive and healthy as possible.
AffiliationsThe Partnership has over 250 partnering agencies and a full listing can be found at
http://www.pittsburghfoodbank.org/foodpartnership/wp-content/uploads/Master-Partner-List-by-Organization.pdf
The Partnership is funded by grants and agency sponsorship.
Leadership
Key Leaders| Name* | Title/Description (Executive Director, Vice President, etc.) | Phone Number 1 | Phone Number 2 | Fax Number | Email Address |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Janet M. Elder | Regional Coordinator | 412-466-7711 | 412-901-0471 | jelder@pittsburghfoodbank.org | |
Contact Information
Contact Phone Numbers| Number* | Title / Description (Telephone, Toll free, Fax, etc.) |
|---|---|
| 412-460-3663 (FOOD) | |
| Email* | Title / Description (Director, General, Intake, etc.) |
|---|---|
| partnership@gpcfb.org | |
| Website* | Title / Description (National, Local office, etc.) |
|---|---|
| www.pittsburghfoodbank.org/foodpartnership/ | |
| www.pittsburghfoodbank.org/partnership | |
SW PA Food Security Partnership
Address:1 North Linden Street
Duquense, PA 15110
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12-County region of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland.
Services ProvidedAvailable Hoursat convenience of community
Fees/Cost for Servicesno cost
Eligibility Requirementseveryone welcome
Required Documentationnone
How to Access Services or Schedule Appointmentscontact agency or attend local meetings and activities
Handicap Accessibilitydependent on activity location
Languages Spoken or AvailableEnglish
Speaker AvailableYes
Volunteer UseYes
Volunteer NeedYes
Volunteer DescriptionDetermined by local agencies and activities
