“With negotiations over a new coronavirus relief package stalled in Congress, extra money for food assistance is among the items hanging in the balance. And in tens of thousands of local households, the impasse compounds the fear of going hungry….”
News Items Archive
Plans for Shady Hill Plaza redevelopment include large apartment building and smaller Giant Eagle. Residents object
“A Pittsburgh developer is planning to reinvent a strip mall and supermarket serving working families on the Shadyside/East Liberty border as an ambitious mixed-use development — and some residents and community groups are calling foul….”
How to apply for food assistance, even if you’ve never done it before
“Applying for food assistance can be confusing. Pittsburgh City Paper talked with Ann Sanders, public policy advocate at Pittsburgh food access nonprofit Just Harvest, about what steps people can take to apply for food stamps, aka SNAP, and where to go for help….”
Bloomfield and Ligonier farmers markets vie for national prize
“Two area farmers markets are in the running for a nationwide People’s Choice prize that will be decided through online voting. Bloomfield Saturday Market and Ligonier Country Market have been among the top 10 markets in online voting in the nationwide poll held by American Farmland Trust. Fans can vote for their favorite markets at markets.farmland.org […]
Don’t ignore low-income voters, Poor People’s Campaign report says
“Low-income Americans — who overall are much less likely to vote in national elections than those with higher-incomes — are an untapped pool of voters who have the power to swing state and national elections, according to a report released Tuesday….”
Op-Ed: Congress must boost SNAP benefits to address hunger crisis
“The economic downturn accompanying the pandemic has cost millions their jobs, and millions more have faced reduced hours and wages. The problem is perhaps particularly acute in Pennsylvania. As of June, our state unemployment rate of 13% was the ninth worst in the country and far worse than its peak of 8.7% during the Great Recession. […]
Black Workers Matter protest planned in Oakland this morning to highlight ‘Hypocrisy Alley’ corporations
“A group called Black Workers Matter is holding a protest in Oakland to highlight the neighborhood’s “Hypocrisy Alley” corporations who support the Black Lives Matter movement but that allegedly underpay and fail to protect its Black workforce. The group named Starbucks, UPMC and McDonalds, which all have a presence on Forbes Avenue, but added that […]
Low-income riders not happy Port Authority will return to fare collection June 8
“Public transit is as essential as housing and utilities to low-income people and if there can be no evictions or utility cutoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic then Port Authority shouldn’t reinstitute fares, either….”
Jump In SNAP Benefits ‘The Tip Of The Iceberg,’ Advocates Say
“More than 100,000 Pennsylvanians began receiving SNAP benefits last month, doubling the largest one-month increase in the state’s 16 years of available data. Allegheny County represents about 10 percent of those new additions….”
As record numbers of Pennsylvanians struggle, more ask for help
“With many businesses still partially or completely closed and unemployment climbing, some Pennsylvanians are turning to public programs to make ends meet — though far fewer than might be expected given double-digit jobless numbers and long lines at free food distribution sites….”
