Gov. Josh Shapiro visited the Pittsburgh area on Tuesday to help those who may need some assistance this holiday season.
The governor helped pack boxes of food at the Westmoreland Food Bank in Delmont. The Westmoreland Food Bank serves an average of 15,000 households in a normal month. However, the need increases during the holiday season
“They do come around the holidays because that’s when money gets a little bit tighter, and things get a little more difficult,” Westmoreland Food Bank CEO Jennifer Miller said.
According to Gov. Shapiro, his recently signed budget will give food assistance programs a 40% increase in funding. He said grocery prices still are hurting many in our region and across the state.
“This is not Democrat, Republican. This is not partisan. People know when they go to the grocery store, prices have gone up,” Shapiro said.
Two million people are on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in Pennsylvania. Amid the pause due to the federal government shutdown, people turned to food banks. The Westmoreland Food Bank saw its call referrals go up 278%.
“That’s not something that we’re used to. As we’ve all heard, food banks weren’t designed to take over for federal nutrition programs,” Miller said.
Around the holiday season, the food bank normally serves about 18,000 households in Westmoreland County. That’s about 12% of homes in the county.
“The fact that people are hungry here is unacceptable,” Shapiro said.
The food bank wants to remind people that donations and volunteers are needed through the holidays and all year round.
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