Summer Youth Café plans to put food on the table
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.”
Food Distribution Days
WHAT: Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank’s food distribution days in Butler County
TIME: 4 to 6 p.m. each day at each site
WHERE: Karns City Area Jr./Sr. High School, 1446 Kittanning Pike, Karns City, on June 12, July 25 and Aug. 18;
Dassa McKinney Elementary School, 391 Hooker Road, West Sunbury, on June 20, July 18 and Aug. 15;
Knoch Primary School, 328 Knoch Road, Saxonburg, on June 23, July 19 and Aug. 16.
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.
