Uniontown – The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank recognized eight school districts and two community centers in Fayette and Washington counties for their work fighting child hunger. Among the honorees, the East End Community Center received a gold Child Hunger Hero Award.
Why the award matters
The food bank’s director of child nutrition programs, Kelsey Gross, explained that the award program is “our thank you to food service professionals” and that the organization stands alongside schools and community partners that work tirelessly to ensure kids have enough food.
East End’s gold medal reflects several standout programs: a community food garden, an on‑site food bank, and a team of master gardeners who visit weekly to teach students how to grow vegetables and flowers. “It is an actual community center,” said fundraising chair Terry Calloway Burden, adding that the center’s status allows it to provide more resources than a typical school program.
Other local winners
In Fayette County, the Connellsville, Southmoreland, Frazier and Uniontown school districts earned Child Hero Hunger Awards, as did the Avella, California, Ringgold and Trinity districts. Washington County’s LeMoyne Community Center also received a gold medal. Awards were divided into gold, silver and bronze designations based on the breadth of services offered.
Program director Patricia Robinson of LeMoyne called the gold medal “a blessing,” emphasizing the center’s mission to ensure children receive healthy, nutritious meals. LeMoyne’s initiatives include a mini‑market where kids can purchase fresh produce and hydroponic units that let them grow food on‑site.
Impact on local children
The food bank reports that 82% of the winning schools and community organizations provide weekend backpack programs, 72% offer summer meals, and more than half deliver after‑school meals. The organization also notes that one in five children in the region lives in a household that may struggle to afford food.
These programs help bridge the gap for families facing financial hardship, ensuring that children have reliable access to meals beyond the school day. By partnering with local centers like East End and LeMoyne, the food bank strengthens community networks that protect vulnerable families.
Looking ahead
Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank encourages other schools and community groups to adopt similar initiatives. Continued collaboration between educators, volunteers, and local nonprofits is seen as essential to reducing child hunger across the region.
For more information about the Child Hunger Hero Award program or to support local food‑security efforts, visit pittsburghfoodbank.org.
Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.
