Forging Forward: Local Food Heroes
Photo courtesy of 412 Food Rescue
Forging Forward is a series of eight articles about our region’s recovery and resiliency in the time of COVID, presented with the generous support of the Pittsburgh Foundation. Read about their 2020 Critical Needs Campaign which culminates in a day of donations on August 19, 2020.
Natalie Bencivenga kicks off “Forging Forward” with a look at some of the city’s amazing food activists.
When you think of food, what comes to mind? Perhaps it’s culture, family, friendship, adventure and romance. Food reminds people of their humanity and helps us build a sense of community through sharing meals and memories. But for 40 million Americans - including 11 million children - who experience food insecurity, what can be done to support them?
“Food insecurity is multifaceted,” said Leah Lizarondo, CEO and co-founder of 412 Food Rescue, a nonprofit organization bridging the gap between hunger, food waste, and environmental sustainability while diverting good food away from landfills and directly into the hands of those who are experiencing food insecurity. “Not knowing where your next meal is coming from, that’s insecurity. Not having access to food that is healthy is insecurity. It’s forgoing meals so that another family member can eat or having to eat smaller meals than you need.”
Where you live plays a large role in how healthy you are. Access to food, transportation and green spaces are things many wouldn’t typically associate with healthcare. Pittsburgh’s food deserts, areas where there is no access to healthy food or grocery stores within a mile, also put a strain on communities' mental, physical and emotional well-being.
“With Pittsburgh, it really should be half a mile,” Lizarondo says. “Most of these deserts are in areas of poverty. They have become ‘food swamps,’ meaning the only available food is unhealthy food.” She notes that most of these neighborhoods are also transportation deserts, making it difficult for people to travel to grocery stores. “Removing these barriers is part of our model to bring food to where people need it the most,” she said.
If you have a vehicle and want to be a part of a solution to end food hunger, download the 412 Food Rescue app. Your mission? To pick up food from spaces about to discard them and deliver them to neighborhoods in need. Not only can you help reduce food waste, but you simultaneously provide fresh produce which often finds its way into landfills.
But what about sending food to food banks to fill the growing need? Maybe under normal circumstances, but during a pandemic, everything changes. “We had a system unprepared for the influx of people in need of fresh produce,” said Jay Poliziani, executive director of the Northside Common Ministries, home to one of the largest food banks in Pennsylvania.
“Prior to Covid-19, we were giving away 32,000 pounds of fresh produce every month. Suddenly, within a couple of days, people could not come into the building,” he said. “There has been discussion about farmers providing large amounts of produce to food pantries but we don’t have the volunteer capacity or storage space for this. It would make more sense to have farmers work with supermarkets and have governments provide people food stamps instead,” he added.
If you are healthy and able to volunteer at a food bank, North Side Common Ministries could use your support.Helping distribute food items to community members and organize pick-ups for brown bagged lunches are just a few ways that the organization can still extend services. “Because so many of our volunteers are elderly, they haven’t been able to safely help distribute food. If we had more volunteers who were healthy and not in a high-risk group due to age, we could do more in our communities.”
Communities doing more are all around us. Chef Michael Blackwell and his wife, Lateresa, founded Kitchen of Grace, the nonprofit arm of Cafe on the Corner, North Side, in 2016. It focused on working with youth in the community to learn hospitality skills and food preparation, buut since the pandemic hit, the Cafe closed and became a distribution center for Kitchen of Grace to serve its community members.
“We had to pivot our mission. We are now feeding 1,000 meals a week to our community and senior centers. People were out of work, they were wondering where their next meal for their children was coming from so we wanted to be a solution,” said Ms. Blackwell. Kitchen of Grace’s efforts not only provides nutritious meals, but also basic essential household items and school supplies. With funders like the Pittsburgh Foundation in place, the organization is now working towards training people to prepare meals and give back.
She believes the pandemic has exposed the overwhelming health, food, and racial disparities many communities face. “It’s hand in glove. It pains us that this is the reality that people are faced with everyday. But hope comes from each meal provided.” Want to activate? Learn more at thekitchenofgracepgh.com.
Activation can also come from combating the stigma of food insecurity through the concept of mutual aid. “My understanding deepened as I began to examine the underlying structural inequities in our own backyards,” said Julie Mallis, city director at Repair the World Pittsburgh. “It’s not sustainable for most of us to go it alone. We all have something to contribute and it doesn’t always have to be labor. We are valuable beyond that. Maybe you are food insecure but you can help talk to someone and provide comfort,” they added. Repair the World Pittsburgh is always looking for volunteers to support its food justice program, with opportunities like assembling bagged lunches for community members to baking casseroles to distribute for those in need of a home-cooked meal. “Find your gifts and reach out for support when you need it,” Mallis said.
And gifts can come from unexpected places, like the restaurant industry, itself, which is grappling with how to move forward in this changed world. With a food system that was predicated on waste, a new vision of the future must correct for that. “There are so many layers to this. There is plenty of food in total volume, but this pandemic has exposed when, how, and for whom it is made,” said Don Mahaney, owner and founder of Scratch Food & Beverage in Troy Hill. As a restaurant owner, Mahaney believes that the way forward is going to be born out of creative solutions.
For instance, Mahaney quickly acted to support Mainstreet Meals, based in Sewickley, to help distribute boxes to communities in need, containing a multitude of items including proteins, starches, eggs, dairy, fresh produce, household and hygiene items. Working with founder Denise Shirley, who started the organization in response to Covid-19, and partners like Union Aid, Sewickley Y, and Sewickley Community Center, they quickly mobilized.
“Don didn’t hesitate for a moment, he just jumped to action to help us,” said Ms. Shirley. Have a car? Pick up supplies. Love to bake? Make some cookies. Not great in the kitchen but can donate funds? Visit thegathershop.com or check out scratchfoodbev.com for details.
“Let’s work together to create something different,” Mahaney said. “This is a serious baseline problem to fix that has to do with the health and wellbeing of everyone.”
Who’s hungry for action?
The Pittsburgh Foundation supports the Forging Forward series, which brings attention to innovative organizations bringing attention to the food ecosystem and strengthening the safety net in our region. You can help by giving on Aug. 19 at www.pittsburghgives.org.
Other articles in the Forging Forward Series:
Home is Where the Heart(land) Is
Don’t miss a single empowering thing!