Finleyville Food Pantry: Mission to feed the hungry goes on

By TAYLOR BROWN

tbrown@yourmvi.com

The COVID-19 pandemic isn’t stopping Pat Trumpie and her team of volunteers from their weekly mission: feeding the hungry, no questions asked.

Almost a year ago, Trumpie, director of the Finleyville Food Pantry, decided to break away from the Greater Washington County Food Bank to create her own non-profit organization after disagreements and complaints from residents.

“We are not closed, we are simply our own nonprofit legal entity now,” Trumpie said. “We’re here and we’re not going anywhere.”

She could have never predicted that one year later, a global pandemic would leave even more Mon Valley residents worried about how they would put dinner on the table, as grocery stores struggle to keep up with the surging demand.

She and a team of volunteers are still showing up every Saturday — and most other days of the week — to do a job for the benefit of their community.

The food pantry, located at First Presbyterian Church in Finleyville, served about 75 families when it was associated with the GWCFB.

Since separating, other pantries throughout the area have reduced distribution days or have shut down entirely.

The Finleyville Food Pantry now serves more than 200 families, a number that has increased by nearly two dozen in the past two weeks.

Of those families, about 139 receive weekly distributions and 15 are elderly or disabled and have their distributions delivered to them each week.

It takes more than $500 each week to pull off such a large effort, in addition to donations supplied to the organization by grocery stores or restaurants, which is not as common as some may think.

“We’re growing and growing,” Trumpie said. “The numbers are going up and our donations aren’t right now. That’s a big problem to have. A scary problem to have.

“When I took this leap of faith a year ago, I knew it would be a risk, but it was an important one. It has not been easy, but with help from the community, somehow we have made this work for this long.”

In addition to growing numbers, Trumpie said there are only two grocery stores — neither of which is in Finleyville — that help with extra food donations. There are also two restaurants — also not in the community — that contribute regularly.

Trumpie travels throughout the area, sometimes driving more than an hour, to find the best deals to keep the freezers and pantries full.

In all, the food pantry has two regular refrigerators, one large refrigerator, two upright freezers, a chest freezer and a four-ton walk-in freezer, currently filled with more than 100 Easter hams.

The organization, which provides its own fundraising, often partners with community groups to help offset the cost of food and rent, which is $560 each month.

At one time, rent at the church was nearly $1,000.

Knowing the organization could not maintain that cost and provide communities with what they need, she forfeited two rooms back to the church, giving up office space and a room for a clothing ministry.

The office for the food pantry now resides in her home. Donations not related to food distribution take up rooms in the home of long-time volunteer Anne Magill.

“We make it work,” Trumpie said. “Between the two of us, we use each other’s homes for storage, it’s crowded, but it’s what we have to do.”

After Trumpie pays rent each month, her food budget is determined.

“Whatever is left is what I work with,” she said. “I really look for the sales and use the coupons I can to get as much as I can for as cheap as I can.”

But more important, Trumpie said, is the quality of the food.

“Everything we give is up-to-date, fresh and quality,” Trumpie said. “We will never give anyone bad food.”

She also won’t turn anyone away.

“Everyone who comes here comes into open arms,” she said. “People come here crying, begging for us to take them, and we never say no.”

While the organization relies heavily on monetary donations, the appreciation of those who receive distributions is worth the struggle to make it happen each week.

“One woman came back, grabbed my hand a put a quarter in it,” Trumpie said. “I had tears streaming down my face.

“Just a small moment like that, a quarter was all she had and she wanted us to have it. That is why we do this, the Lord’s work to feed everyone. No one will go hungry on our watch.”

The food pantry has distributions from 9 to 11 a.m. every Saturday.

The group also assists with feeding the homeless, the soup kitchen in Monongahela and recently partnered with South Hills Pet Rescue to offer pet food on distribution days. It also supplies children with toys during the holidays and backpacks and school supplies each summer.

Recently, the food pantry became involved with a program to help residents with eye care, providing appointments and glasses to more than 40 residents.

Such efforts would not be possible without volunteers to help keep the organization up and running.

Trumpie has more than 15 sets of hands that help her each week.

Saturday, nearly eight of them lined the tables inside of the food pantry to prepare for distribution — despite social distancing recommendations.

To the volunteers, it was worth the risk to ensure residents had what they needed for the week.

Cheryl Gereshenski, food pantry secretary, has been involved with the pantry for years.

“I adopted my five grandchildren, and it was a big help to my family,” she said. “I wanted to give back to something that really changed my life and helped when me and my husband, Jack, needed it.”

Donna Dzubay said it is her favorite thing to do.

“Honestly, I am bored and lonely at home,” Dzubay said. “I wait and wait for Saturday every week. I really get excited about coming in and being able to help my neighbors. Everyone needs someone, you know.”

Cathy Haslop, who has been volunteering for less than a year, eagerly helped residents choose their items Saturday, despite a dreary and worrisome atmosphere outside of the food pantry doors.

“This is important work,” she said. “I am 70 years old and I don’t want to sit around when I can be doing something like this that makes a difference.”

As COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc throughout the world, the Finleyville Food Pantry does not plan on closing its doors.

“We are sanitizing everything, take all of the precautions, but there is too much of a need for us to go anywhere,” Trumpie said.

“We are here, we are healthy, well, some of us are a little feeble, but it’s all good,” Haslop said. “We said a prayer before we started this morning and I know we will get through this together.”

Moving forward, as more residents sign up and food becomes more scarce, Trumpie hopes residents will see the importance of what she and other volunteers are doing.

“It’s going to get worse before it gets better,” she said. “I had to go to three different stores to find potatoes this week, but I did it.

“As the numbers go up without donations coming in, eventually it will cost more than we have. I don’t want that to happen, I can’t let it.”

To make a monetary donation, which is tax deductible, or to donate food directly, call Trumpie at 412-616-7573.