The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank plans distribution days in Butler County in three communities this summer. Butler Eagle file photo

People living within the Karns City Area School District typically have to trek to a grocery store miles away to buy food, but in June, July and August, a fleet of trucks will bring their groceries to them for free.

The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank is bringing food distribution days to three schools in Butler County over the summer, to supply people with food while school is out of session. Karns City school district is the first to get a distribution, with the first taking place Monday, June 12, at Karns City Area Jr./Sr. High School.

The food bank is partnering with the Moniteau, Knoch and Karns City Area school districts to host the Summer Youth Café. The program provides federally funded meals to children 18 and younger at no cost to ensure children and families have the meals they need. Anyone living in those districts is encouraged to attend, regardless of income. Registration is not required.

“We are going to pack as much food as we can fit on the trucks,” said Abigail Eagan, food access innovations manager for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. “People can pick and choose what they want — the way we set distributions up is people can pick what they want.”

According to Eagan, the Pittsburgh food bank did some research on communities in Butler County where food options were limited, and they determined those areas to be in the Karns City Area, Knoch and Moniteau school districts.

While a lack of access can make shopping difficult in general for people and families, Eagan pointed out that summers can be even harder when children are not receiving food at their schools.

“Across Butler County there's 35% of students who qualify for free and reduced meals,” Eagan said. “When school ends, those aren't available and the families may struggle to buy extra groceries.

“The normal summer program can only provide food for children 18 and under,” Eagan continued. “By doing this we're hoping to bring food to the entire families and not just the students.”

Evan McGarvey, director of business affairs at Karns City Area School District, said about 40% of students in the district are eligible for free or reduced cost meals.

Don Ras, director of dining at Karns City, said grocery options are limited in the area, so district administrators are happy to work with the Pittsburgh food bank to get food to local people.

“This is the first time that anything like this has happened through the food bank,” Ras said. “They plan to pack the trucks with as much food as they possibly can... The food won't go to waste.”

Eagan said the food distribution events will consist of several stations where people can stop their vehicles to have their pick of what they want. She also said the food bank has a particular focus on fresh fruit and produce, which makes up around 75% of the distributions’ offerings.

According to Eagan, these summer events don’t have income requirements for people to be able to receive food, but she encouraged people to carpool, because recipients will need to be in vehicles to attend.

McGarvey said bringing food to people in the area will likely be a relief for many people, especially those with families and children.

“The food bank identified this as an essential opportunity, and I think it's just that,” McGarvey said. “They said, ‘Let's give it a shot this year and see how it goes,’ and perhaps it could lead to a more robust program in the future.”

Eagan said the food bank is aiming to aid about 200 families at each distribution, and school district administrators have already said the free food will make a difference.

“We're excited,” Eagan said. “All that's left is to get up there and get this food to families.”

The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank will be at Karns City Area Jr./Sr. High School, 1446 Kittanning Pike, Karns City, on June 12, July 25 and Aug. 18; at Dassa McKinney Elementary School, 391 Hooker Road, West Sunbury, on June 20, July 18 and Aug. 15; and at Knoch Primary School, 328 Knoch Road, Saxonburg, on June 23, July 19 and Aug. 16. Food will be distributed from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. each day at each site.