If you have a passion for ending hunger and strengthening the safety net programs that help low-income people keep food on the table, then we need you now more than ever!
Just Harvest is still working hard to support our community through these difficult times. Following the CDC guidance recommending social distancing, we have suspended all in-person volunteerism.
Despite the fear and uncertainty about COVID-19, we are resilient, and you can still help your community safely! Here are some ways to get involved:
PUBLIC POLICY
Job number one right now is to win emergency government measures to protect people in need. It’s easy to be a remote advocate. Contact your elected officials now about the urgent federal and state issues explained on the pages below, and help us spread the word on social media:
Tell the Senate to pass the HEROES Act and strengthen SNAP now! (5/18/2020) - SNAP is our nation’s first line of defense against hunger. Use our quick form to urge Sen. Casey and Toomey to move quickly to address hunger.
Support new bills to enable grocery delivery for SNAP shoppers (4/30/2020) - The USDA announced that SNAP recipients in PA are allowed to use their benefits to buy groceries online. New legislation will help cover the costs of their delivery fees.
Actions to improve government COVID-19 relief efforts (4/25/2020) - Congress has now passed four relief packages in response to the pandemic. But too often corporate profits are coming before the public interest.
Grocery shopping with food stamps during a pandemic (4/3/2020) - The ability to shop online for groceries with food stamps is more than just a convenience. During this pandemic, it’s possibly a matter of life and death.
Poverty Amidst Pandemic: A Moral Response to COVID-19 (3/22/2020) - Before COVID-19, nearly 700 people died every day because of poverty in this country. We must now protect the poor and the workers on the frontlines.
PA government must protect us all during the coronavirus pandemic (3/20/2020) - Join us in urging our state officials to swiftly adopt key measures to protect working families and other vulnerable people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19: The Federal government must do more (3/20/2020) - Federal policymakers must enact additional measures now to mitigate the far-reaching economic harms arising from the coronavirus pandemic.Help strengthen our democracy during this crisis. Getting the word out about Pennsylvania’s new no-excuse-needed Vote by Mail ballot will allow people to safely participate and have their vote counted in the upcoming election.
- Voters can obtain the mail-in ballot from the Allegheny County Elections Bureau at alleghenyvotes.com.
- Citizens need to be registered to vote to request Vote by Mail. Voter registration can be checked at www.pavoterservices.pa.gov.
Help promote participation in the 2020 Census. A complete and accurate account of the population is critically important to ensure fair and sufficient allocation of government resources and representation for the next ten years.
- Complete your 2020 census online at my2020census.gov. You can also complete your 2020 census over the phone by calling 844-330-2020.
- Help get out the Census count from home. Sign up with our ally PHAN or email joanna@pahealthaccess.org
FOOD ACCESS
Whether you know it or not, someone you know is struggling with food insecurity. So tell your friends and neighbors about Just Harvest!
Let people know we are continuing to provide help with SNAP/food stamps, medical and TANF/cash assistance applications as well as case advocacy and eligibility screenings. Our Food Stamp Specialists can be reached M-F 9am-5pm for over-the-phone assistance at (412) 431-8960 x602. You can also share our COVID-19 help page.
Help us spread the word. Do you know of a neighborhood or community food distribution site? Help us get our information out to the people they’re serving. Get name – and the contact information, if you can! – of whoever is running the distribution and send it to our volunteer coordinator Amanda Fry at amandaf@justharvest.org and she will contact them to see if we can get them info about our services to distribute to the people they’re helping.
TAX FILING & STIMULUS CHECKS
The IRS has extended this year’s tax filing deadline to July 15, 2020. Although our Free Tax Prep program has been suspended, there are online filing options available for low-income households and we are also providing phone assistance. This is critical to ensuring all Americans get a COVID-19 relief payment through the IRS.
Help us spread the word. Tell your networks about our phone assistance and online info to help them through this confusing process.
DONATE
Donate to support Just Harvest as we continue to serve vulnerable populations in our community.
