Mobile food bank launches capital campaign
Two items the Somerset County Mobile Food Bank has placed on its wish list for Santa this year is owning a warehouse and getting a new truck.
They're hoping the 2022 Warehouse and Truck Capital Campaign effort will help to get them both.
So far they have applied for grants and received donations. The goal is to raise an additional $150,000 over the next year to fulfill the estimated difference needed to fund these purchases.
"This will be a great opportunity to show our commitment to the community," Benjamin Tawney, executive director of the Somerset County Mobile Food Bank, said.
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The warehouse is the main impetus for the fundraising effort, but a refrigerated box truck with a lift gate is also at the top of the list. Tawney said the current box truck is getting to the point that repairs are becoming costly. A truck and chassis have been donation by a local business and now they need to find a refrigerated box and lift gate for it.
"We now have a donated truck from Luther P. Miller that Morocco Electric is helping to get it equipped," said Tawney.
He said a sales agreement with Laura Vista Farms has also been signed. The owners have allowed SCMFB to use the facility for the last 10 years, but they are now retiring. The warehouse is at 1686 Coxes Creek Road, Somerset.
"It's an opportunity to have a tailored location for our needs," Tawney said. "It has a freezer and a place to park the truck."
Tawney said buying the warehouse from the retiring owners of Laurel Vista Farm shows the community the program plans to stay.
"It shows our commitment to the community with going forward in the years to come," he said. "It will help us sustain ourselves in the future. It should give comfort and relief to those who use the program."
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Food distribution
The Somerset County Mobile Food Bank is a free food distribution program that is intended to bring fresh produce and other items to those in Somerset County who have a limited income and a lack of or limited transportation. SCMFB has 12 stops around the county in the communities of Berlin, Boswell, Central City, Confluence, Hollsopple, Meyersdale, Rockwood, Somerset and Windber.
Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank came to the Somerset Area Ministries in 2010, asking for help in bringing additional food to those who need it in Somerset County. The biggest issues were transportation and access to food.
“Laurel Vista Farm was excited at the opportunity in 2012 to get involved with helping the Food Bank get up and running by providing them a warehouse space," said Ken Soldano, one of the owners of Laurel Vista. "We are thrilled to see how the operation has expanded into what it is today and want to continue to support and see its success for years to come. We are happy to see the warehouse facility be sold to SCMFB so that they can continue their mission for the long run and look forward to seeing what the operation has in store.”
Since 2012, SCMFB has provided more than 6 million pounds of fresh and non-perishable foods to seniors, handicapped, veterans, and children who meet the income guidelines. Grant funding from Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and several other programs have helped cover a large portion of operational expenses.
"We can tailor the facility to keep it the same or to expand our capability to continue or help meet the needs better," he said.
Families served
Tawney said 1,400 to 1,500 families in Somerset County are helped every month by SCMFB with dry goods, and produce because it has refrigeration capability, frozen meat and protein items. Each family receives 50 pounds of food and they can visit the mobile food bank twice a month.
"They can also go to the local food pantry," he said. "We work together to help supplement each other. We're all in it together to make sure people are fed."
Somerset County Mobile Food Bank also provides a "Home Bound Program" where churches and organizations are invited to volunteer to deliver boxes of food to about 150 to 200 people monthly who are homebound.
"It's us dropping food items where people are who have trouble getting out," Tawney said. "We encourage them to try to get a family member or a friend to come out and help them. If they don't have that support, we will try our best to help them, but we really encourage them to try to find somebody. This is a lot of work. We do some bulk delivery too, distributing from a drop spot in an area where volunteers have a list of who is participating."
To qualify for SCMFB services, individuals are required to self-declare their household income to ensure that they fall below 180% of the Federal Poverty Level. This is less than $25,142 annually for a single person household.
Donate by mail, filling out a form and mailing it to Somerset County Mobile Food Bank, 1686 Coxes Creek Road, Somerset, PA 15501, or online on the website at SCMFB.org. Select the Somerset County Mobile Food Bank Capital Campaign option.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Somerset mobile food bank launches capital campaign