Food bank transition expected to be completed by June 30
The transition to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank overseeing and supplying Washington County’s food pantries is moving swiftly and expected to be completed by the end of June.
The discussions began in late January a month after the Washington County commissioners voted to reallocate $280,000 in state and federal funds to the Pittsburgh nonprofit rather than the Greater Washington County Food Bank over concerns about pantry closures and food delivery changes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Charlese McKinney, the network development director for Greater Pittsburgh, said they are having conversations with the 11 food pantries in Washington County to “introduce themselves” and learn how to best serve the community once they take over management by June 30. Pittsburgh and Washington food bank officials met again last week to continue discussing the transition, McKinney said.
“We’re in the middle of formalizing the transition agreement,” McKinney said. “We’ve had a few conversations to see how it looks to help the pantries in our communities and the people they serve as a whole.”
It was not known whether Connie Burd, the executive director of the Washington food bank, has been involved in the recent discussions. A worker at the food bank said Burd was out of the office this week and unavailable for comment. Chris Claspy, the vice president of the Greater Washington County Food Bank’s board who engaged in initial discussions with his Pittsburgh counterparts in January, did not return a phone call seeking comment on whether board members have been participating in the most recent meetings.
“Their role is changing, but now we’re putting all the pieces together to make that happen,” McKinney said.
It was unclear exactly how the Greater Washington’s food bank role would change once the transition is completed.
The June 30 transition date coincides with the end of the fiscal year, but McKinney said it also gives Pittsburgh plenty of time for the pantries to prepare for the change. McKinney said the multiple meetings between the food banks and pantries are designed to ensure that the needs of the community are met once Greater Pittsburgh takes charge.
“We don’t want to just flip the switch,” she said. “Flipping the switch could adversely affect the people we serve. We want enough time to make those changes.”
Greater Pittsburgh currently serves an 11-county network and has a similar arrangement with Lawrence County that food bank officials have previously said they hope to use for Washington County. Funds coming from Washington County will be earmarked to be returned to the local food pantries to make purchases for supplies.