Today, we had another inspiring tour stop in Pittsburgh, PA as part of our “Fight Hunger.Spark Change.” campaign with Walmart, Feeding America, and Neighbor’s Table. We had the pleasure of gathering with the neighbors of Nextdoor Larimer, a neighborhood in northeast Pittsburgh that has been directly affected by food insecurity and has been working to bring healthy food to the neighborhood for several years.
Our fantastic community host, Delia Chatterfield, welcomed us to her neighborhood, along with City and PD officials, community leaders, local media, and other Larimer neighbors. Together, we gathered around a beautiful farmhouse Neighbor’s Table for an honest conversation about the hunger situation in Pittsburgh and how we can work together to improve it.
In the greater Pittsburgh area, one in five neighbors struggles with food insecurity. Similar to what we learned while in Phoenix, AZ last week, neighbors in Pittsburgh face food insecurity for many reasons, including location, financials, and/or a lack of understanding about nutrition and how to use the food one obtains.
In Larimer, Delia and her neighbors are working to improve hunger in their community by first bringing healthy food into the neighborhood through community gardens, and then ensuring neighbors are educated about the food that comes from the gardens and how they can use it to make nutritious meals for their families. Delia and the Larimer Green Team host community wide events throughout spring and summer, giving neighbors the opportunity to get their hands dirty in the community gardens and take part in creating a better future for themselves and all of Larimer.
From Left: Lisa Scales (Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank), Jenny Mayfield (Nextdoor), Delia Chatterfield (Larimer Host), Steve Wymer (Nextdoor)
We were so encouraged by the way everyone at the table offered to work together to further improve the problem of hunger in Pittsburgh. While many of the table participants have already been fighting hunger for several years, we all learned that much more can be achieved by working together.
With the feeling of hope under our wings, we ended the night with a Larimer neighborhood block party. Lucky for us, we had a delicious food truck serving up Pittsburgh bites, tons of toys for the kids (and adults who are kids at heart), and, of course, some Nextdoor swag for all to enjoy. We are so grateful to the Larimer community for welcoming us to Pittsburgh and revealing to us the amazing ways they work together to improve their community every day.
We can’t wait to continue our journey across America with our visit to Chesapeake next week. Stay tuned for what’s to come as we work to #FightHunger and #SparkChange in Virginia!
Great story- how can people become involved in this campaign and share their stories?