Food Insecurity

Free school breakfast will be provided to 1.7 million students in Pennsylvania under a program from Gov. Tom Wolf. The $21.5 million initiative is slated to begin Oct. 1 and run through this school year.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: The Penn Hills School District will be forming a police force in an effort to boost security; we speak to a high school senior and adult working in violence prevention about the results of a survey that asked Pittsburgh area youth what impact gun violence is having on their lives; and a look at how a Homewood garden is seeking to combat food apartheid.Today’s guests include: Nancy Hines, superintendent of school at Penn Hills School District; Cierra Guest, a senior at Woodland Hills School District, and Rev. Eleanor Williams, founder of the North Side Partnership Project.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: Spotlight PA reporter Jamie Martines explains how a lack of uniform health department coverage across the state impacts communities; the first cohort of Pittsburgh Food Equity Ambassadors has released their policy recommendations to support a just food system in the city; and the number of low-income families in Pennsylvania accessing subsidized child care has dropped since the start of the pandemic.

The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank will receive $1,241,740 to expand its cold storage infrastructure. Through the American Rescue Plan, Pennsylvania will distribute more than $11 million to food banks in every county.

Garden Dreams Urban Farm and Nursery is expected to grow as many as 40,000 seedlings annually.

For many students, the pandemic put more than their college experiences in jeopardy. Campus food banks say they've increased their efforts to make sure students struggling with food insecurity are fed.

On today's program: More people are facing food insecurity, but Dawn Plummer at the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council says some pandemic relief programs are…

More Pennsylvania college students are now eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and…

Food insecurity increased greatly – by nearly 80% – for residents in two predominantly Black Pittsburgh neighborhoods during the early weeks of the…

In 1982, Gail Robbins was a social worker in need of a job, when a friend and former co-worker suggested she seek work part-time at Pittsburgh’s fledgling…