THE MANY
FACES OF
HUNGER
in the South Hills
South Hills Interfaith
Movement (SHIM) is
helping local individuals
meet basic needs and move
toward self‑sufficiency.
J
im had worked at a local hospital
for nearly 10 years when his job was
eliminated. Months of searching for a
position with a similar income left him living
on his savings. As that quickly depleted,
he struggled to keep the bills paid and his
children fed until landing his next job. That’s
when he turned to South Hills Interfaith
Movement’s (SHIM) food pantry.
When Elaine’s husband passed away, she
was doing a pretty good job of managing
her expenses on a fixed income. But an
unexpected medical bill left her having to
choose between her prescriptions and food.
She needed a local place to turn for help.
For Meena and Rajen, 17 years of living in a
refugee camp in Nepal was trying. Now living
in the South Hills, they feel blessed, although
learning a new language, finding jobs, and
helping their two children assimilate are daily
challenges. He’s working as a custodian and
she in retail while they pursue an education,
reimagine their careers and slowly rebuild their
lives.
Every person who walks through the doors
of SHIM’s food pantries has a story. They
come from various backgrounds with various
needs. In fact, 66 percent of the families served
by SHIM have children; a quarter of all food
pantry users are under the age of 12; half are
14 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | Canon-Mac
gainfully employed; and 38 percent of families
get by on less than $10,000 per year.
“Suburban poverty is growing at an alarming
rate—five times the rate of urban poverty to
be exact,” says Jim Guffey, SHIM’s Executive
Director. “Together, with teams of dedicated
volunteers, donors and partners, we’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 our
service area.”
SHIM helps local
individuals meet basic
needs and move toward self-
sufficiency.
Sometimes this means
reacting to an emergency
situation for South Hills
families in need. Throughout the last three
months of 2016, 81 households went to SHIM
for emergency food. And in December, SHIM
saw record numbers of food pantry visits,
serving 526 families and 1,687 individuals.
“The winter and early spring are when
we see some of the highest need for food,
as many workers with outdoor jobs are laid
off,” explains Molly Patterson, Operations
Coordinator at SHIM. She noted that
December brought 36 first-time families to
SHIM’s food pantries, and 110 individuals.
“More than half of SHIM’s households have at
least one member who is employed. And more
than half are families with children.”
That’s why SHIM kicked off its annual “Sack
Hunger, Pack Hope” campaign in February, to
help raise funds for its food pantry operations
throughout the year and collect food to round
out the winter season and get a jump on spring
food pantry days.
The campaign serves to raise awareness,
dollars and much-needed food for local
families in need to support SHIM’s three
food pantries located in Bethel Park, Baldwin
and at its Prospect Park Family Center in
Whitehall. Last year’s record-shattering effort
saw community groups, congregations, troops,
schools and workplaces coming together to
make sure no neighbors go hungry.
“Sack Hunger is the quintessential example
of neighbors helping neighbors,” says Guffey.
“When we all come together, there’s nothing
we can’t do together.”
Based on community response in 2016, the
goals for 2017 are ambitious. SHIM hopes
to raise $100,000 and collect 36,000 pounds
of food. Thanks to Casey Family Foundation
matching funds, cash donations will be
doubled.
“The food the community brings in during
drives is fantastic,” Guffey notes. “But the
added dollars are critical since we can leverage
the buying power of the Greater Pittsburgh
Community Food Bank which, in most cases,
has five times the impact.”
The community is encouraged to get
involved now through the end of April by
hosting a drive, making a monetary gift to
SHIM’s food pantry operations, and spreading
the word by posting on social media, hanging
up posters throughout the community and
telling friends and family.
To learn more about how to get involved,
visit shimcares.org/sackhunger or contact Seth
Dubin at [email protected]. ■