![\"WTAE](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1769019068_844_wtae.png\")
<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTODAY WE HAVE AN UPDATE TO A STORY WE BROUGHT YOU BACK IN NOVEMBER. A LOCAL MAN TOUCHING THE HEARTS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHEN HE TURNED HIS FRONT YARD INTO A FOOD PANTRY TO HELP PEOPLE WHO TEMPORARILY LOST THEIR SNAP BENEFITS. ONLY ON FOUR TONIGHT, PITTSBURGH\u2019S ACTION NEWS FOUR REPORTER JORDAN CIOPPA TELLS US HOW THAT WAS JUST THE BEGINNING FOR THIS MAN. AJ OWENS FRONT YARD FOOD PANTRY IS CLOSED NOW, BUT HIS MISSION TO HELP THE COMMUNITY ISN\u2019T SLOWING DOWN. FOOD IS PILING UP HERE IN HIS LIVING ROOM AS HE EMBARKS ON A NEW JOURNEY TO FEED LOCAL CHILDREN THIS SUMMER. NONSTOP DELIVERIES AND PILES OF PACKAGES ARE PART OF AJ OWENS NEW NORMAL. MY HOUSE IS COMPLETELY FULL. I MIGHT SLEEP ON THESE BOXES PRETTY SOON. OWEN AND HIS TWO SONS STARTED COLLECTING FOOD DONATIONS AT THEIR WHITEHALL HOME IN LATE 2025, WHEN SNAP BENEFITS WERE PUT\u2588ON PAUSE. HIS FRONT YARD FOOD PANTRY RACKED UP MILLIONS OF LIKES AND VIEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, SPREADING HIS STORY TO PLACES FAR BEYOND PITTSBURGH. I\u2019M SO, SO BLESSED TO SAY THAT WE GAVE AWAY MORE THAN $100,000 OF FOOD AND OTHER RESOURCES TO NOT ONLY PITTSBURGHERS, BUT WEST VIRGINIANS AND OHIOANS AND JUST THOSE WHO NEEDED IT. WE WERE HERE FOR THEM. THE FOOD PANTRY CLOSED A FEW WEEKS AGO, BUT THAT DOESN\u2019T MEAN OWEN IS DONE HELPING OUT HIS NEIGHBORS. AND SO ONCE THAT WAS DONE WITH MY MY BIG TIKTOK FOLLOWING THAT, I DO HAVE, I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHAT\u2019S NEXT? AND I FIGURED, LET\u2019S FEED KIDS THIS SUMMER. THERE\u2019S SO MANY GREAT PROGRAMS IN PLACE THAT WE\u2019RE SO THANKFUL FOR, BUT WHAT\u2019S A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA FOOD TO HELP THESE KIDS? AND SO THAT\u2019S WHAT WE\u2019RE DOING. OWEN RECENTLY LAUNCHED A WEBSITE CALLED PG MEALS.COM, WHERE ALLEGHENY COUNTY FAMILIES CAN SIGN UP THEIR CHILDREN FOR A SUMMER MEAL PROGRAM. THE GOAL IS TO SUPPLY THE KIDS WITH TWO SMALL MEALS, TWO SNACKS, AND ONE DRINK EVERY DAY FOR EIGHT WEEKS. SO FAR, MORE THAN 1300 KIDS ARE SIGNED UP. JUST LIKE THE FOOD PANTRY. WE DIDN\u2019T PUT A CAP ON ANYTHING. WE DIDN\u2019T ASK QUESTIONS. IF THERE\u2019S A CHILD WHO NEEDS FOOD THIS SUMMER, WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET FED. DONATIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS AND BIG BRANDS HAVE ALREADY STARTED POURING IN, BUT OWENS SAYS IT\u2019S GOING TO TAKE EVEN MORE HELP TO COLLECT ENOUGH FOOD. WE NEED A LOT MORE LOCAL COMPANIES THAT WANT TO HELP PUT UP A FLIER, EVEN. BUT IF YOU WANT TO DONATE, IF YOU WANT A PARTNER, IF YOU WANT TO FUNDRAISE, DO A FOOD DRIVE. WE ARE SO, SO OPEN TO ANYTHING. WE WILL HAVE A LINK TO THE WEBSITE ON WTAE.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Whitehall dad behind viral food pantry starting summer meal program for kids<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\tUpdated: 11:34 PM EDT Apr 28, 2026\n\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\tEditorial Standards \u24d8<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\tNon-stop deliveries and piles of packages are a part of AJ Owen\u2019s new normal. \u201cMy house is completely full. I might sleep on these boxes pretty soon,\u201d said AJ Owen with a smile. Owen and his two sons started collecting food donations at their Whitehall home in late 2025 when SNAP benefits were put on pause. His front yard food pantry racked up millions of likes and views on social media, spreading his story to places far beyond Pittsburgh. \u201cI\u2019m so, so blessed to say that we gave away more than $100,000 of food and other resources to not only Pittsburghers but West Virginians, Ohioans, and those who needed it. We were here for them,\u201d Owen told Pittsburgh\u2019s Action News 4 Reporter Jordan Cioppa. The front yard food pantry closed a few weeks ago after staying open all winter. However, that doesn\u2019t mean Owen is done helping out his neighbors. \u201cOnce that was done, with my big TikTok following that I do have, I was like, you know, kind of, \u2018what\u2019s next?\u2019 And I figured, let\u2019s feed kids this summer,\u201d Owen said. \u201cThere\u2019s so many great programs in place that we\u2019re so thankful for, but what\u2019s a little bit of extra food to help these kids, and so that\u2019s what we\u2019re doing.\u201dOwen recently launched a website called PGHMeals.com, where Allegheny County families can sign their children up for a summer meal program. The goal is to supply the kids with two small meals, two snacks, and one drink every day for eight weeks. So far, more than 1,300 kids have signed up. \u201cJust like the food pantry, we didn\u2019t put a cap on anything; we didn\u2019t ask questions. If there\u2019s a child who needs food this summer, we will make sure that they get fed,\u201d said Owen. Donations from individuals and big brands have already started pouring in, but according to Owen, it\u2019s going to take even more help to collect enough food. He is calling on local businesses to step up. \u201cWe need a lot more local companies that want to help, put up a flier even. But if you want to donate, if you want to partner, if you want to fundraise, do a food drive, we are so, so open to anything,\u201d Owen said. To get involved, click here.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tWHITEHALL, Pa. \u2014 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Non-stop deliveries and piles of packages are a part of AJ Owen\u2019s new normal. <\/p>\n \u201cMy house is completely full. I might sleep on these boxes pretty soon,\u201d said AJ Owen with a smile. <\/p>\n Owen and his two sons started collecting food donations at their Whitehall home in late 2025 when SNAP benefits were put on pause. <\/p>\n