Plum Food Pantry Might Seek New Home

The Plum Food Pantry faces changes that its organizers fear will impact its ability to help those in need, but some, including borough officials, hope a solution can be found in a new home for the organization.

The food pantry, which is housed in the basement of on Sandune Drive, must cut its Tuesday pickup to two hours in the evening, according to food pantry chairman Joseph Utterback, to comply with state requirements that those working or volunteering around children have Act 33/34 clearances—state-required criminal background checks for people who work with children or do volunteer work.

The church has a preschool on site.

“That’s a necessity, that’s not something that we’re fighting,” he said. “We know (Holiday Park United Methodist) has to protect the kids of the church.”

Since the food pantry began in 1982, it has operated out of the church.

While the food pantry’s volunteers currently are working to obtain the clearances and will likely receive them by the time preschool resumes in September, the food pantry’s clients will not have the required clearances, which presents a problem.

Without clearances, they can’t be in the same area as the preschool.

To accommodate the regulations, the food pantry will cut its hours back at the beginning of September. It’s pick up schedule—which currently runs most of each Tuesday afternoon—will change to evening hours, when the children are not present.  

The food pantry will be open for pick up from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays.

Utterback was unsure how the change will impact clients.

“I have no idea, especially about senior citizens,” he said. “They don’t drive in the evening—most of them.”

Each month, the food pantry serves about 150 families from Plum and from the borough’s churches. It also provides emergency food packages to those from the greater Pittsburgh area, especially neighboring communities like Penn Hills.

The packages are provided when someone is in need but can't make contact with their local food bank.

“When people don’t have food, they can’t wait until people tell them it’s OK to come for it, so we (provide the food) immediately,” Utterback said.

As long as someone in an emergency situation can work within the new hours, the pantry will still provide that service, he said.

Those within the organization are cautious about the impact the new hours could have on the operation. They are open to the possibility of a new location so that a full day of food pickup will be available again.

A letter from the food pantry, which will go out to its supporters, stated that “if we cannot accommodate our clients in this time frame, we will have to relocate or as a last resort close the pantry.”

Plum officials, at council’s Monday night work session, discussed getting word out about the need for a new home for the food pantry by posting information on Channel 19.

“They are some of the most unselfish, committed people I have ever met,” Mayor Richard Hrivnak said.

Locations suggested by officials—not identified at the meeting as definite possibilities—included the borough's Earned Income Tax Office, which will be vacant next year and the former Bible Baptist Church location.

Utterback was also in the process of getting word out about the change to businesses that support the food bank.

“I want to make sure they understand,” he said, “we may not be here next year.”

Despite the uncertainty, volunteers were cautiously optimistic.

“I think it will all work out in the end,” volunteer Bette Greenwald said. “I think the church has been very generous and I understand.”

Still, the Holiday Park resident had concerns about the food pantry’s future.

“I’d hate for it to close,” she said. “A lot of people depend on us.”

The Plum Food Pantry can be reach at 724-327-0367

Information is also available at www.holidayparkumc.org.