Unity Food Pantry Mission
Overview
The Unity Food Pantry, a member of the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, provides emergency and ongoing food support to low-income families in Greentree, Dormont, and those parts of Mt. Lebanon, Scott, Pittsburgh, Crafton Heights, and Westwood for which we are the closest pantry (members of Unity can be served at Unity Food Pantry regardless of where they live).
Goals
- To provide ample quantities of safe, healthy, and nutritious food to low income men, women, and children served by the Wallace Food Pantry, with special attention given to meeting the needs of clients with special health and dietary needs.
- To serve our clients in a way that promotes their dignity and individuality, protects their privacy, and guards their safety and well-being, and which reflects the love and compassion which God–and we–have for them.
- To ensure that all operations of the food pantry meet or exceed the guidelines established by all groups that provide oversight and regulation, including Unity Presbyterian Church, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, Allegheny County Health Department, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- To remain attentive to the needs of the clients served by the pantry, and as new or changing needs are identified, to augment or modify services being offered by the pantry (historically, this has included the creation and distribution of holiday dinner bags, summer lunch bags for pantry children, backpacks with school supplies, and sets of toiletry items).
- To work effectively with community groups that support or volunteer with Unity Food Pantry, including the Parkway Center Mall Giant Eagle, Mt. Lebanon Girls Scouts, Mt. Lebanon Jr. Women’s Club, Dormont AARP, Bower Hill Community Church, PennDot, and the Life Skills Class from Chartiers Valley Intermediate School.
- To provide support and opportunities for ongoing training for all volunteers of the Unity Food Pantry, as well as regular recognition events to acknowledge the thousands of hours of volunteer time donated annually
- To network regularly with other food pantries in Southwest Pennsylvania, both to learn from the work done by other pantries as well as to share whatever experience, knowledge, and resources we can with other pantries.
- To be a faithful, responsible, and effective partner with Unity Presbyterian and its staff and members as we carry out the goals of the pantry, including providing financial support to Unity for utilities utilized and for the recycling dumpster, responding promptly to all requests for reports and updates, immediately sharing news of any situations arising that may impact the church, and always providing security at the door whenever we are open to ensure compliance with Homeland Security requirements.
How to Get Involved
The Unity congregation overall provides extensive support to the pantry. This includes free operating and storage space; oversight and guidance via Council and The Pastor, with assistance from the church administrative staff in scheduling, bank account management, maintenance of the pantry spaces, equipment, and any set-up needs in Fellowship Hall.
Annually, many church members opt to make a donation to the food pantry in lieu of sending Christmas Cards.
Volunteers are welcome on Sunday and Monday mornings to pick up donated bread and dessert items from the Parkway Center Mall Giant Eagle, bring them back to the church, and place them into freezers in the basement of the church.
On Tuesdays, volunteers can assist with picking up food from the Food Bank and delivering it to the pantry, unloading and putting away that delivery, packing food items for clients, setting up for distribution, and then assisting in distributing to clients that afternoon from 12 Noon to 1 pm.
Contact information
Unity Food Pantry
412-561-7751
