New funding to fight food insecurity in Pittsburgh helps more families access food banks

Photo above by Eaters Collective used by permission via Unsplash. 

There’s nothing more stressful than not having the resources to feed your family. So we were glad to see that our friends at Trying Together have created a helpful resource page exploring new changes to eligibility for food assistance that can help more families avoid food insecurity in Pittsburgh.

Income eligibility for both the State Food Purchase Program (SFPP) and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) have been raised from 150% of the USDA-established poverty level to 185%. So a larger number of Pennsylvania families will be eligible to go to food pantries and food banks, thanks to these U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded programs. This change brings the SFPP and TEFAP programs in line with income requirements for programs like SNAP, the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program and the Farmers Market Nutrition Program.

If this change in income eligibility might help you, check out Trying Together’s resource page, which offers links for locating nearby food pantries and food banks, details on the SNAP program, and much more.

More details about the new regulation and income requirements can be found right here. As the economy continues to struggle, it’s encouraging to see that more local families will have resources to grapple with the challenge of food insecurity in Pittsburgh.

In case you missed it, check out our interview with 412 Food Rescue co-founder and food insecurity warrior Leah Lizarondo right here. And learn more here about why meeting basic needs like nutrition can be vital for young learners.