Emergency food drive conducted in Bethel Park
The public is asked to donate to an emergency food drive benefiting Bethel-St. Clair Meals on Wheels and South Hills Interfaith Movement, beginning March 23.
Donations are being accepted from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays at the front entrance of Bethel Park Community Center, 5151 Park Ave.
Foods needed include apples, oranges, bananas, individual boxes of cereal, cans of soup, individual boxes of macaroni and cheese, individual fruit cups, individual snacks such as pudding, individual cereal bars, individual protein bars, individual bags of chips and pretzels, Pop Tarts, spaghetti or pasta noodles, spaghetti sauce, buns and bread, bottles of water and boxes of juice, Lunchables, Snack Breaks and protein snacks.
“The folks that we serve are basically shut-ins, and they cannot cook or shop for adequate foods or make meals for themselves,” said Dorothy Vandruff, kitchen coordinator for Bethel-St. Clair Meals on Wheels. “We send out a hot meal and a cold bag lunch Monday through Friday with the hot meal set up like a TV dinner so all they have to do is microwave it.”
Vandruff, who has worked with Meals on Wheels for 38 years, added some of her clients have no family or have family out of state, so they really rely on their meals each week.
“I just want to make sure they have food every day and don’t go hungry,” she said.
SHIM provides food, clothing and services to people in need in Pittsburgh’s southern suburban neighborhoods. Together, with teams of dedicated volunteers, donors and partners, they’re working to reduce the devastating effects of suburban poverty among the working poor, unemployed, families, single parents, senior citizens, women and the high concentration of refugee families in their service.
For more information on either organization, visit shimcares.org or call 412-854-9120, and for Bethel-St. Clair Meals on Wheels, visit bethelparkmealsonwheels.com or call 412-835-1039.
The Bethel Park Community Center can be reached at 412-851-2910.