Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits could stop Saturday, and there may be a greater need for food aid in Pittsburgh and surrounding communities.
More than 2 million Pennsylvanians receive SNAP benefits. In Allegheny County, around 160,000 people utilize the program.
Food pantries and resources including the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank will continue to provide aid. Community fridges offer another way to get food to people in need.
Community fridges have continued to pop up across the region. Some community fridges in Pittsburgh are stocked, in part, with help from local partners like restaurants, stores, and bakeries. But community members also lend a big hand in restocking shelves with food donations. Anyone in need can stop by to pick up food — and many are accessible 24 hours a day.
According to Feeding America, a nationwide alliance of food banks and pantries, more than 1.7 million people in Pennsylvania face hunger — 1 in 6 of them are children.
What’s life like without enough food? “It’s hard to learn, it’s hard to focus. It’s hard to get along with each other. And if you have children who are coming into school who are hungry, they’re not learning,” said Gisele Fetterman, who co-founded 412 Food Rescue and founded The Free Store in Braddock. The store sees about 800 people a week.
“They’re struggling to really get through the day. Food insecurity affects all aspects of someone’s life,” Fetterman continued. “The idea that you have to be concerned about where your next meal comes from, or your kid’s, that’s a level of stress that I can imagine people carry every single day of their lives.”
In Sharpsburg, need to restock the fridge grows
Outside of the Second Harvest Community Thrift Store in Sharpsburg, a Community Free Fridge, freezer and pantry are available to anyone in need.
Bonnie DeMotte, the executive director of Second Harvest, said that the initiative has helped to fight hunger in the community.
She said all sorts of neighbors use the resource. “Food insecurity is not selective. Everyone experiences hunger at different points. It’s a lot of working dads who are stopping after work and just need a little help getting dinner. It’s seniors, it’s moms. We have so many children. Kids are coming before they get on the bus. There’s no one demographic.”
She estimates that more than 100 people use the fridge each day, though they don’t track users or ask for any individual information.
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DeMotte said there’s been a growing need for food aid in Sharpsburg. The program recently expanded, allowing the fridge to be stocked three days a week, up from two.
“I would say pretty consistently over the last three months, we’ve noticed a huge need, and it’s growing. And it’s empty more often. The great thing is many more of our community members, and partners — restaurants, and caterers, are stocking it more regularly.”
11 free fridges from Penn Hills to Carnegie
The free fridges below are available 365/24/7 for pickup or donations except where noted.
Braddock Free Fridge at Braddock’s Battlefield History Center
609 6th St., Braddock, 15104
Run by the Braddock Youth Project, the fridge and pantry are located outside of the history center.
Brighton Heights Freedge
1301 Davis Ave., Pittsburgh, 15212
Behind the New Life Family Worship Center.
Brighton Heights Lutheran Church Fridge
3830 California Ave., Pittsburgh, 15212
The free fridge is at the church. Information on hours of operation were not immediately available.
Community Free Fridge at Second Harvest Community Thrift Store
624 Clay St., Pittsburgh, Sharpsburg, 15215
This fridge sits outside of the store and nearby a pantry. Donations can also be left at the Laurie Ann West Community Center in O’Hara during business hours.
Free Food Fridge at Fishes & Loaves Cooperative Ministries
131 E. Elizabeth St., Pittsburgh, 15207
This fridge is on the front porch of the ministries in Hazlewood.
Free Fridge 15106
601 Washington Ave., Carnegie, 15106
This fridge is in front of church
Garden City Food Pantry Community Refrigerator
500 Laurel Dr., Monroeville, 15146
The Garden City United Methodist Church has partnered with the pantry to provide this refrigerator, outside next to the pantry. The food pantry distributes food on the second Thursday of every month.
Millvale Free Fridge at the Millvale Community Library
213 Grant Ave., Millvale, 15209
This fridge and an affiliated pantry are behind the library. Local food partners drop off goods on Thursdays and Sundays.
Penn Hills Library Community Fridge
1037 Stotler Rd., Penn Hills, 15235
This fridge and an associated pantry are inside the library, and are available when the library is open. The fridge is restocked at 5 p.m. on Wednesdays and 11 a.m. on Fridays.
Poppin’ Tags Free Store Fridge
756 Little Deer Creek Valley Rd., Russellton, 15076
This free store provides clothing, home goods and necessities to anyone in need. Food is also available in a fridge inside the store, during store hours.
The Garden Café Community Fridge
1022 Chestnut St, Pittsburgh, 15212
This fridge is on the back patio of the café in East Allegheny.
Community-driven mutual aid efforts matter
Community-driven food insecurity initiatives, including free stores, pantries and fridges, are essential resources. They also offer Pittsburghers an opportunity to get more involved in their communities.
“We have to look at other ways to support each other and I think that mutual aid is a big one,” said Fetterman, who is married to U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, adding that families can involve their kids in the process. “I know that we can do a really good job of taking care of each other.”
Natasha Etzel is a Pittsburgh-based freelance writer and can be reached at natashaetzelwrites@gmail.com.