Pandemic challenges Greensburg food pantry

The number of families helped by the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry in Greensburg had been dropping steadily for several years. Organizers saw it a good news, a sign that fewer people were facing food insecurity.

Then coronavirus came, thousands of people lost their jobs, and the food pantry was busier than it had been for years. “Before the pandemic hit our numbers were just going down, and down and down,” said pantry coordinator Sally Cowell. “I was just hoping and praying that was a sign that people were doing better.”

The pantry has helped almost 3,000 families this year, distributing more than 8,000 boxes of food. That’s a significant increase from years past, Cowell said.

The pantry holds monthly food distributions at Our Lady of Grace Church, each attended by more than 200 families.

Before the pandemic, people could pick and choose the food they wanted. Now all the food is pre-boxed, and the pantry has implemented a drive-through process to stop the spread of the virus.

“It’s a well-oiled machine. It is amazing, they have it down to an art and a science,” said the Rev. Dan Blout, of Our Lady of Grace Church.

The pantry gets most of its food from the Westmoreland County Food Bank, but numerous other religious groups and community organizations contribute as well, Cowell said. Some donate food, others hygiene products, and many people volunteer with the pantry.

Westmoreland County Food Bank CEO Jennifer Miller said the 44 food pantries throughout the county are vital in making sure the food collected by the food bank gets to those who need it.

“Without their expertise, and without their presence in each of the individual communities in Westmoreland County, it would be very difficult for us to meet all the needs that are out there,” she said. “They are our boots on the ground.”

The St. Vincent de Paul food pantry started in the late 1980s. Cowell has been involved since 2002. She said she can’t wait for things to go back to normal, but she’s happy the pantry has been able to help so many in such a difficult year.

“I’m kind of proud of what we do,” she said.