March 21, 2023 Walk-In Food Distribution at The Hub Visit The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center every Monday from 12 – 5 p.m. to receive free food items, including sandwiches, fruit, baked goods, and more! Participants may pick up a variety of perishable food items on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last. This food distribution is walk-in only. Food items are provided by 412 Food Rescue. For more information or questions, please contact The Hub & Family Center at (412) 545-5039.
Walk-In Food Distribution at The Hub Visit The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center every Monday from 12 – 5 p.m. to receive free food items, including sandwiches, fruit, baked goods, and more! Participants may pick up a variety of perishable food items on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last. This food distribution is walk-in only. Food items are provided by 412 Food Rescue. For more information or questions, please contact The Hub & Family Center at (412) 545-5039.
Walk-In Food Distribution at The Hub Visit The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center every Monday from 12 – 5 p.m. to receive free food items, including sandwiches, fruit, baked goods, and more! Participants may pick up a variety of perishable food items on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last. This food distribution is walk-in only. Food items are provided by 412 Food Rescue. For more information or questions, please contact The Hub & Family Center at (412) 545-5039.
Walk-In Food Distribution at The Hub Visit The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center every Monday from 12 – 5 p.m. to receive free food items, including sandwiches, fruit, baked goods, and more! Participants may pick up a variety of perishable food items on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last. This food distribution is walk-in only. Food items are provided by 412 Food Rescue. For more information or questions, please contact The Hub & Family Center at (412) 545-5039.
Walk-In Food Distribution at The Hub Visit The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center every Monday from 12 – 5 p.m. to receive free food items, including sandwiches, fruit, baked goods, and more! Participants may pick up a variety of perishable food items on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last. This food distribution is walk-in only. Food items are provided by 412 Food Rescue. For more information or questions, please contact The Hub & Family Center at (412) 545-5039.
January 19, 2023 Thriving PA Releases Report on WIC Participants and Access to Benefits Thriving PA has released a report on the results of focus group sessions with Pennsylvania Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program participants. Entitled, “WIC Participants Encourage Improvements to Remove Barriers to Access,” the report reveals value in key elements of the WIC program and a need to increase program accessibility. About Thriving PA partnered with eight community-based organizations, including Trying Together, to recruit and facilitate focus group sessions. The results in the report are part of a continuous feedback loop with these organizations and session participants. Summary of Findings WIC Program Strengths Participants valued information on nutrition and health education provided at WIC clinics during appointments. Information on the breastfeeding program proved especially important. Participants are hopeful the increased monthly produce benefits (resulting from a congressional response to the COVID-19 pandemic) will continue even when the public health emergency ends. Participants considered the ability to use vouchers for fresh fruits and vegetables at farmer’s markets as a significant strength of the program. Barriers to WIC Program Benefits Participants expressed difficulty getting to WIC offices during clinic hours. They included distance, gas prices, and inability to obtain child care as barriers to attending appointments. Because participants must visit WIC clinics to get their EBT benefits reloaded every three months, they describe in-person requirements are challenging. Participants feel the length of certification is too short and annual recertification is too frequent. Participants shared frustrations with the food options that are eligible for WIC, including sizing and diversity restrictions. Participants identified a need for an updated package that meets current nutritional standards. Participants had trouble determining what items were WIC approved in stores and said item identification and checkout need to be addressed to ensure smoother transactions. Participants expressed a desire for improvement in staff interactions at WIC clinics, as well as improved communication. Participants said they felt deterred by the stigma and shame associated with participation in WIC, especially during the checkout process. Thriving PA Recommendations Make permanent the flexibilities given to the program during the COVID-19 pandemic, which have allowed WIC agencies to adapt to families’ needs, and modernize current technology to provide the best user experience. Advance the transition to an online system as quickly as is feasible. Create a state-specific mobile app that would allow specific benefit information to be open to participants. Integrate WIC into COMPASS, which will allow eligibility and enrollment processes to be much more straightforward and easy for eligible individuals to access benefits. Explore more modern methods for outreach to capture more eligible WIC participants and educate community-based organizations, health care professionals, home visitors, and other service providers about the WIC program. Make significant vendor improvements, including care coordination, support for workforce development, federal food package updates, federal eligibility expansion, and federal relaxation of the physical presence requirement. Learn More Read the full report to learn more.
November 16, 2020 DHS Warns of Potential Pandemic EBT Benefit Scam The Department of Human Services (DHS) is warning of a possible scam concerning Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) benefits and reminding Pennsylvanians to be skeptical of unsolicited or random calls or text messages about public-assistance programs – especially when the calls or text messages solicit personal information, such as Social Security numbers. About DHS is investigating a report of individuals receiving calls with pre-recorded messages advising them to expedite their P-EBT benefits issuance by providing their Social Security number and case record number. In the message, the speaker claims to be from a County Assistance Office (CAO). DHS and other government agencies do not ask for information about P-EBT, SNAP, or any other public-assistance programs via unsolicited or random calls or texts, and Pennsylvanians should not reply to such a call or text or share any personal information if they are contacted in this way. If you or anyone you work with receive unsolicited or random calls or text messages telling you that you qualify for assistance and then asking for personal information, it is most likely a scam. Do not respond. Delete the message so you do not get caught in an identity theft scam. Pennsylvanians who have questions about whether a call, text, letter, or other communication is legitimate should contact DHS’ Office of Income Maintenance. Clients in Philadelphia should call the Philadelphia Customer Service Center at 215.560.7226. Clients in all other counties can call the Statewide Customer Service Center at 1.877.395.8930. Apply for Benefits Applications for the SNAP and other public assistance programs can be submitted online at www.compass.state.pa.us. All Pennsylvanians experiencing financial hardships due to the pandemic, a lost job, or a change in income are strongly encouraged to apply and see if they qualify for assistance with food, health care, and other essential needs. More Information For more information, read the full press release. To learn about food assistance resources for people around Pennsylvania impacted by COVID-19 and the accompanying economic insecurity, visit the Department of Agriculture’s food security guide. *Information provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services
October 21, 2020 Allegheny County Family Resource Map Now Available Are you interested in accessing food, housing, parent, or employment services? Check out ELRC Region 5’s Allegheny County Family Resource Map to view resources available near you! About The Allegheny County Family Resource Map highlights the addresses, phone numbers, and websites of a variety of family supports, including: Aging Care and Education Employment Family Activities Food Health Housing New Parents Outdoors and Recreation Transportation Through the map, families can find countywide resources and services closest to them, such as senior community centers, family centers, early learning programs, public schools, WIC offices, parks, libraries, food pantries, diaper banks, clinics, public housing, Port Authority bus stops, and more. More Information For questions or to submit a map suggestion, please contact ELRC Region 5 at 412.350.3577 elrc5@alleghenycounty.us.
July 16, 2020 FDA Warning: Hand Sanitizers Containing Methanol About On July 2, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning that there has been a sharp increase in hand sanitizer products labeled to contain ethanol (a.k.a. ethyl alcohol) but have tested positive for methanol contamination. Methanol, or wood alcohol, is a substance that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin and toxic or life-threatening when ingested. Understanding the Risk Methanol is not an acceptable active ingredient for hand sanitizers and must not be used due to its toxic side effects. The FDA is aware of instances where adults and children ingested contaminated hand sanitizers that have led to blindness, hospitalization, and death. The FDA’s investigation of methanol in certain hand sanitizers is still ongoing. Risks are especially high for young children who accidentally ingest these products and adolescents and adults who drink these products as an alcohol (ethanol) substitute. Please do not ingest any type of hand sanitizer, regardless of whether or not it is contaminated with methanol. Receiving Medical Attention Individuals exposed to hand sanitizers containing methanol who are experiencing symptoms should seek immediate treatment for potential methanol poisoning. Substantial exposure to methanol can result in nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system, or death. If you need to report adverse events or quality problems experienced with the use of hand sanitizers, contact the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online or through a printable form that can be submitted via fax at 1.800.332.0178. More Information A list of hand sanitizer products to avoid can be found on the FDA website. For more information, see the full update.
April 30, 2020 Mayor Peduto Calls for Online SNAP Purchasing Options On April 28, Mayor William Peduto issued a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in support of efforts to expand affordable SNAP purchasing options — including food delivery and online ordering — for vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. About Mayor Peduto’s letter follows calls by U.S. Senator Bob Casey and others to expand the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides eligible low-income residents with an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) debit card to purchase food. Currently, SNAP recipients cannot make any food purchases online. While other consumers can use online ordering and delivering to protect themselves and others from spreading the virus, these options are not available to low-income residents and families who are forced to make their purchases in person, increasing their likelihood of contracting COVID-19. Senator Casey has been calling on the USDA to expand SNAP delivery options since March when stay-at-home guidelines were put into effect in Pennsylvania and across the United States of America. The Food Policy Council wants the USDA to allow SNAP recipients to purchase food for delivery and to allow other safe food purchasing options, such as allowing users to use their EBT cards for Instacart or online farmers market services. What is SNAP? The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition benefits to supplement the food budget of low-income families so they can purchase healthy food. Eligible applicants receive an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) ACCESS Card to make food purchases. To check your eligibility or apply, please visit the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services website. For questions about SNAP, call the Department of Human Services helpline at 1.800.692.7462 or your county assistance office. For individuals with hearing impairments, please call 1.800.451.5886. More on SNAP Purchasing Options To learn more, view the full press release or a copy of the letter to Secretary Perdue. *Information provided by the City of Pittsburgh
