FEEDING THE SPIRIT
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ANNUAL FILL A TRUCK

2/26/2021

 
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Saturday, April 10, 2021
Z&M Harley Davidson, Greensburg, PA

​Make that used clothing go twice as far! Donate used clothing, shoes and purses and not only will they find new homes, but Feeding the Spirit will be compensated for each pound donated.

Start cleaning out those closets now!

​Feeding the Spirit's Annual Fill A Truck Event at Z&M Motorcycles will be April 10! We will be outside the store at 10 am to fill our truck with gently used clothing, shoes, and purses. We work directly with Mission Partners to collect the donations. Mission Partners distributes the collection and reimburses us per pound collected.

2020 Statistics

1/1/2021

 

2020 Year End Statistics

Total Meals Served 2020
10,908
Total number meals since 2011 - 46,264
Homeless Placement
​476 individuals placed for 646 nights
$36,003

Rent Assistance
179 Families Assisted
    $35,818

Utilities
8 individuals assisted in crises situations  
​

Misc.
Gas Cards  -   33 individuals  
Medical CoPay   -  19 individuals
Food/Hygiene Items   -  107 individuals
Photo ID/Birth Certificates  -   63 individuals
Delivery Fee Christian Layman’s   -  7 individuals
Property Taxes  -   2 individuals
Auto Repairs/Car Insurance   -  7 individuals
Resslers Driving Academy  -   1 individual
Bus Tickets   -  7 individuals 
Phone Card - 1 homeless woman

WEEKLY MEAL DISTRIBUTION

9/17/2020

 
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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Beginning Thursday, October 1, our weekly meal distribution will change to Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the parking lot at Otterbien United Methodist Church in Greensburg. All meals will be individually packed and distributed for take-out. Doors open at 4:45 p.m.

Feeding the Spirit will continue to take all precautions to practice safe social distancing. There will be 2 options for distribution:
1) Walk-Thru - Walkers may enter the side entrance of the church for pick up.
2) Drive-Thru - Those individuals in cars will gather in the upper parking lot across from the train station and will be directed to pickup the meal in the church parking lot.
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We are looking for the day to gather once again in fellowship hall at the church, but until then we welcome our guests on Thursday evenings outside of the church to take home a warm meal.

Annual Fill-A-Truck

6/24/2020

 
TUESDAY, AUGUST 11
4:00 p.m.  - 7:00 p.m.
Z&M Harley-Davidson

6130 US-30, Greensburg
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​Make that used clothing go twice as far! Donate your used clothing, shoes and purses and not only will they find new homes, but Feeding the Spirit will be compensated for each pound donated. Join us at the start of April and start cleaning out those closets now!

Feeding the Spirit's Annual Fill A Truck Event at Z&M Motorcycles will be August 11! We will be outside the store at 4:00 pm to fill our truck with gently used clothing, shoes, and purses. We work directly with Mission Partners to collect the donations. Mission Partners distributes the collection and reimburses us per pound collected.

​All proceeds benefit Feeding the Spirit.

Outreach and Support Through COVID-19

6/22/2020

 
​Becoming a distribution point for more than food, FTS has been handing out information on gun safety and other food assistance programs offered by Westmoreland County Food Bank and Otterbein United Methodist Church, just to name a few.   Over these past few weeks, we’ve seen a lot of new faces through car windows and on park amphitheater seats as folks come through the drive-in or walk up distribution lines.  This speaks powerfully to the emerging and real needs that we are working to address.  

​HOUSING STABILIZATION THROUGH RENT ASSISTANCE

Over the years, FTS has established and grown our collaborative relationships with local human service and community benefit organizations.  This is best demonstrated in the Rent Assistance program, where we partner with such agencies and groups to provide financial assistance to individuals and families seeking to prevent eviction or secure new long-term housing.  In the early weeks of the coronavirus mitigation shutdown, most of these partnerships were disrupted.  Agencies restricted or temporarily ceased operations as they transitioned to working remotely, as did churches and religious-affiliated groups.  Referrals to FTS for rent assistance decreased.  Additionally, Pennsylvania issued a moratorium on evictions. In March and April, cases decreased by nearly half.   However, because so many other sources of rent support were unavailable, the cost per case to FTS has increased. As the end of the eviction moratorium approaches, we anticipate a significant uptick in calls for rent assistance.
 
At present, this program is funded primarily through grants from the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Foundation and the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County.

GENEROSITY OF SPIRIT @ FEEDING THE SPIRI

One week, a young couple came with cases of bottled water to share.  A local business owner brought washed and individually bagged fresh apples on another. For the weekend of Mother’s Day, The Westmoreland Museum of American Art made Mother’s Day cards and a Greensburg artist created flower pins to be given to the moms who came for meals.  Gifts of spirit, one and all, shared with our neighbors on a Saturday in the park.  We are continually honored and humbled by these gifts.

TEMPORARY EMERGENCY HOUSING FOR HOMELESS

As the social service system-wide ramifications of ‘stay at home’ orders developed, calls to Feeding the Spirit for emergency shelter markedly increased. Admissions to county shelters stopped for some time as these providers worked to devise and implement COVID-19 management protocols.  Fortunately, the local hotels with which FTS works to place folks in a housing crisis have remained open throughout.  From March 16 - April 30th, FTS provided safe shelter for 66 individuals and families for 95 nights. 
 
Funding for Feeding the Spirit’s Crisis Placement program comes from The Pittsburgh Foundation, The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County and the Lulu A. Poole Charitable Trust.

RANDOM ACTS OF …. COOKIES!​

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How fortunate could an organization be, to have a dedicated volunteer who loves to bake?  That organization would be Feeding the Spirit, and THAT volunteer would be Shirley McDowell, baker extraordinaire!  For years, Shirley has coordinated provision of a Thursday evening meal each month, working with members of her congregation at Life Church in Greensburg.  And she bakes.  Since our transition to meal distribution at St. Clair Park, Shirley has been arriving with pans full of yummy cookies, two zipped into each bag and ready to include with the food that folks are taking home for their families. What a perfect way to add a touch of love!
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    611 Southwest Ave, ​Greensburg, PA
    ​724-757-2533

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Feeding the Spirit
611 Southwest Avenue,
​Greensburg, PA 15601  
​Phone: 724-757-2533
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