Greensburg-Hempfield area groups provide local families 'a sense of relief' with Food 2 Go 4 Kids program

Reflecting on a decade of providing weekend meals and snacks to families at three Hempfield Area elementary schools, the Rev. John Smaligo could not hide his emotion.

What started in February 2015 as an effort to support about 40 Hempfield Area students has more than tripled in size. Eleven Greensburg-Hempfield area organizations — including a synagogue, Lions Club and nine churches — provide food for nearly 150 students at the district’s Fort Allen, West Point and Maxwell elementary schools through the Food 2 Go 4 Kids program.

“I have a wonderful committee that I formed to work with me on this because they do so much of the work, and I think all of the credit goes to them and to the schools,” said Smaligo, a retired Lutheran minister who now serves as director of outreach at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Irwin.

“But I think as I look at this, it’s an emotional thing for me. It’s a passion for me,” he said. “Being a 10-year celebration, I’m very excited about it.”

The supporting organizations set aside portions of their budgets each week to purchase nonperishable food items for local families — boxes of macaroni and cheese, canned Chef Boyardee pasta meals, apple sauce, granola bars, fruit snacks and cereal.

Students are also sent home with $10 to $15 Aldi gift cards to purchase additional food during long weekends or breaks from school, Smaligo said.

After the food is delivered to each school, teachers tuck the bags of food into their students’ backpacks.

The initiative supports about 65 students at Fort Allen Elementary, said guidance counselor Michelle Apessos.

“When you’re handing a family who is in dire straits some food and they don’t have to go buy food, it’s huge. It’s a sense of relief for them.”

Apessos can occasionally send extra bags of food home with families in particular need.

“I feel bad that I can’t give them more,” she said. “It’s sad when you know people are struggling and you have limitations to (helping) them.”

Though the schools provide guidelines for the free weekend food program, any family is welcome to sign up for it, Apessos said.

“If a family comes to me and says ‘One of us just lost our job. We’re really struggling right now,’ I offer them the program and they can sign up for a short time, a long time, forever — whatever works for them,” she said.

“I don’t necessarily limit it to any particular guidelines, because you don’t know what families are going through.”

Those who want to support the Food 2 Go 4 Kids program can get involved through one of the supporting organizations, such as Congregation Emanu-El Israel, Greensburg East Hempfield Lions Club and churches including Harrold Zion Lutheran, Word of Life, St. Paul’s Catholic, Greensburg Alliance, Good Shepherd Lutheran, Our Lady of Grace Catholic, First Christian, Westminster Presbyterian and St. Matthias Lutheran.

“I think 10 years is a lot of years to do this,” Smaligo said, “and (the organizations) have never given up and never stopped.”

Fort Allen, West Point and Maxwell elementary schools also collect monetary donations and host fundraising events for the program.

(Editor’s note: this story has been updated.)