Volunteers Fill Hundreds Of Vehicles At Food Distribution Event At Big Butler Fairgrounds
PROSPECT, Pa. (KDKA) -- Hundreds of cars came through the Big Butler Fairgrounds to get dry goods, meat, milk and bread Tuesday morning.
"There's no judgement here. If you need help, we encourage you to come out and get it," Food Bank Network Development Director Charlese McKinney said.
For the last few weeks, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank has been giving out food at distributions events all over our area.
Now it faces the challenge of some companies closing processing plants. According to McKinney, the food bank has a warehouse and off-site facility stored with several weeks-worth of food.
"We are not at the point of being alarmed, but we are concerned. We will just look for other ways to source food," McKinney said while getting the distribution set up.
Tuesday's volunteers filled about 700 cars.
"I know we had to turn folks away last time and we want to make sure we capture as many folks as we can," McKinney said.
About 40 volunteers from the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival helped to get the food in the cars. The group says it's their way to be a good neighbor for those who need some help.
"Whenever I reached out and said I need volunteers for this food drive on Tuesday, I had 40 people signed up within a day," festival director Patti Jo Lambert said.
"I know that if it was reversed, that somebody would be helping me. We all do what we can for each other," Volunteer Marcia Ringeise told KDKA.
The food bank plans to have more distributions including ones in Greene and Beaver County this week. All the leftover food from the Butler County distribution will go to the Greene County one.
According to McKinney, in May the distributions at the location Duquesne will be every other week.
Veterans and military families in need can also get help on Tuesday.
The Veterans Leadership Program is distributing food at their facility on Smallman Street in the Strip District. The event began at noon and is drive throug or walk up.
The Washington Area Humane Society is hosting an event at its facility on Route 136 in Eighty-Four today too.
It starts at one and runs until 3 p.m. Anyone who needs help feeding their pets can show up.
Volunteers will load food into your car when you drive up.
More information on the Coronavirus pandemic:
- CDC Coronavirus Information
- CDC Global Map of Confirmed COVID-19 Cases
- Pennsylvania Department of Health Information
- Allegheny County Health Department Information
Find out more about the Food Bank's Distribution events by clicking here.
