Pittsburgh Foundation To Match Donations To Food Bank

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – More people than ever are going hungry in our area this Christmas season. Local food banks say demand for food is up by as much as 40 percent.

That's why KDKA-TV is joining forces with the Pittsburgh Foundation in a fundraising drive, which will essentially double your donation.

Christmas is meant to be the most joyful time of year, but it can also be the most stressful especially for single moms like Brittney Rhodes who has two small kids and a paycheck from a pizza shop that just isn't enough to cover the bills.

"I didn't pay my rent last month and I'll need to pay for two months now. And I have gas, electric, student loans, daycare, you know a lot of things," Rhodes said.

According to a press release, the Pittsburgh Foundation was hoping to raise a minimum of $200,000 by the end of the year to help food banks in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.

It took only a couple of days to reach that goal.

The Pittsburgh Foundation put up an immediate $100,000 to match your donation to the food banks and said they would put up more if the matching funds run out.

Today, they announced that they are putting up an additional $100,000.

"It's not acceptable. It's not okay to think about our neighbors going hungry and that's something we think we can step in and address," Grant Oliphant with the Pittsburgh Foundation said.

"According to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, demand in some local neighborhoods increased last month by up to 40 percent compared with November 2012, and the Westmoreland County Food Bank – which reports that one in six of the population in its service area now qualifies for food assistance – is experiencing an overall rise in demand of approximately 13 percent," the release said.

Now, there's an easier way to make a donation to help out.

Donors can go to the Pittsburgh Foundation's website starting today and donate to any of the 15 local food banks in Allegheny or Westmoreland counties.

"The site requires credit card donations of a minimum of $25, and the Foundation will pay the three percent transaction fees charged by the vendor, ensuring that all gifts go to the appeal," the release said.

The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank alone serves over 110,000 people monthly.

If you'd like to donate, visit their website here: https://pittsburghgives.org/checkout/new_nonprofit_select.php