Food-focused nonprofits aim to feed the need

Published by Rebecca Sodergren, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  |  Read the article

Thursday is the final date for filing charitable contributions on your 2020 tax return, and several local food-focused nonprofits could use the help. Hunger has nearly doubled in the region this year, according to 412 Food Rescue CEO Leah Lizarondo.

Leaders of local food-focused nonprofits found themselves inventing new programs on the fly. Jen Flanagan, Community Kitchen Pittsburgh’s executive director, said “‘pivoting’ is the word of the hour.”

Community Kitchen Pittsburgh (ckpgh.org) runs a culinary training program for people with barriers to employment, such as those who have recently left prison. The program was closed from March to June, per Gov. Tom Wolf’s orders. So its instructors started making 1,000 meals a day for homeless shelters and schoolchildren near the Hazelwood kitchen. The organization then hired 17 people to help make and pack the meals, creating a new transitional jobs program. The meals ended up not only feeding those in need but also providing jobs.

“We wanted to keep the meals close to mission,” Ms. Flanagan said.

Volunteers are still needed to help package meals. Since the summer, the culinary training program has reopened on a hybrid model.

A few local food businesses have also started using the kitchen with trainees working as co-packers.

Looking ahead to 2021, Ms. Flanagan said fluidity will still be the name of the game because federal Coronavirus Aid, Rescue and Economic Security funding will run out for many programs.

“We’ll throw a lot of stuff up and see what sticks” in 2021, Ms. Flanagan said.

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