EECM Receives Neighbor-Aid Grant

Written by: Kate Snyder, Development and Donor Communications Coordinator

Nonprofits across Pittsburgh are scrambling to find the resources to meet the surge of increased demand stemming from the country's current economic woes. That includes us here at EECM. Over the past six months, we've experienced a tidal wave of new clients at our Food Pantry. More than 450 new families turned to us for food; many found themselves in dire straights because of lost jobs.

But this isn't a downer post. I'm writing with good news!

EECM will be receiving $69,000 in emergency funding through Neighbor-Aid, a joint project of The Pittsburgh Foundation, the United Way of Allegheny County, and several other local foundations.

Thanks to this generous grant, we will be able to purchase additional groceries for our Food Pantry and Men's Emergency Shelter and will also be able to extend the hours of case management available at our Food Pantry.

When clients come to the Pantry, we don't just hand them a bag of food and send them on their way. Each client sits down with a trained volunteer for an interview to determine if they have any other needs that we can help meet. The volunteers help fill out applications for food stamps, work on household budgets, and generally just offer a supportive ear. We also have a full-time Case Manager who can help with larger issues and specific program applications like Dollar Energy (which helps with energy bills).

The increased demand for our services has brought our peak service level at the Pantry to 55 households daily per two hour operating session. Which is clearly an unmanageable amount! Thanks to the Neighbor-Aid grant, we'll be able to offer additional hours of case management to clients in need, helping them through their crisis and setting them on the path to self-sufficiency.