Salvation Army expands healthy options as food assistance need grows

Capt. David Bender compares it to Black Friday when about 50 local residents line up outside the Salvation Army of Allegheny Valley for its Thursday food pantry and community luncheon.

Doors are open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., but most of the take-home food is gone by 11:30 a.m. That includes tables laden with meats, bread, fruits, vegetables and sweets.

Bender said the need for food assistance is growing. In the past year or so, he has seen the number of meals served each Thursday double, from 150 to 300.

People who stuck around last Thursday could sit down and enjoy free soup and a sandwich.

“It’s a way to build community,” Bender said. “I think that’s the greatest thing about the whole program.”

Located in Brackenridge, the Salvation Army’s Allegheny Valley location also fights hunger through its Love in a Backpack program, which provides weekend snacks and easy meals every Friday to Highlands School District students.

Many nonprofits distribute food, but the Salvation Army Western Pennsylvania Division has made a particular point of providing healthy options through its Feeding Families for Life initiative.

“It’s not just handing somebody a snack,” said Nicole Harrell, spokesperson for the Western Pennsylvania division. “It’s really focusing on nourishment and well-being.”

Started in 2018, the initiative has spawned various programs throughout 28 counties. According to Harrell, the Western Pennsylvania division served 1,700 children, provided 36,000 senior food boxes and installed 24 garden beds to provide fresh produce as part of its programs in 2022.

These efforts at the Allegheny Valley, New Kensington and Greensburg branches received a $40,000 boost thanks to the Bayer Fund, the Western Pennsylvania division announced on Tuesday.

The grant comes from the philanthropic arm of pharmaceutical company Bayer, with $17,750 going to Allegheny Valley, $13,250 to Greensburg and $9,000 to New Kensington.

It’s a bump up from the $30,000 given by the Bayer Fund last year.

“This doesn’t happen without these partnerships,” Harrell said.

In Greensburg, the bulk of the money will again go toward its Love in a Backpack program.

“We try to choose healthy choices for the items,” said Lt. Donna Hannan of the Greensburg Salvation Army. “With it being limited to nonperishable items, it’s a little trickier. But we do choose lightly salted snacks or baked snacks over fried chips.”

As for the New Kensington location, the grant will help fund a supermarket-style food pantry, hydroponics setup, cooking classes and back-to-school food bags.

Last year, the branch used the money to build outdoor gardens. They even received help with installation from Bayer volunteers, according to Maj. Scott Flanders of the New Kensington Salvation Army.

“We’re just trying to help the community eat healthier,” Flanders said.