FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pittsburgh, PA – February 9, 2017 – For the whole month of February EECM holds their annual “Have a Heart for Hunger” campaign. The campaign highlights their Community Nutrition Services division that distributes over 25,000lbs. of food per month to over 450 Food Pantry clients, feeds the community for free for lunch each weekday and shelter residents every day totaling to approximately 62,000 meals a year. This campaign seeks to receive monetary and food donations to cover the costs to serve the people in the Pittsburgh community. In Partnership with MediConnect, for the first time during this campaign, East End Cooperative Ministry will open its doors to feed the community on February 12th to emphasize the impact on hunger in the Pittsburgh community and to provide a service we wish we can offer every Sunday. We expect to serve over 200 meals for this event. The meal is free and open to the public; however, donations are welcome.

MediConnect is the leading independent insurance organization in the Western PA region, and your source for healthcare coverage. Partnering with well-known insurance providers in nine states, MediConnect bridges the healthcare gap by finding and securing the most optimal plans to fit the consumer’s individualized needs.

MediConnect provides consumers with the means to manage their healthcare planning. Their menu of services include a dedicated Client Services Department to facilitate communication, a focus on consumer healthcare education and access to detail-oriented insurance advisors.

Even with the resurgence of the East End, 30% of Pittsburgh residents live in poverty. Those in poverty deserve the dignity and respect.

“EECM is here to serve the needs of the community, that means continuing our ministry of caring for those who are marginalized and offering them a safe place to enjoy a meal,” says EECM’s President & CEO Michael J. Mingrone. “Additionally, we’ve seen an increase in attendance at our community lunch, showing us that hunger is increasing in East End neighborhoods. We hope that this meal is a way for everyone to celebrate the meaning of the Have a Heart for Hunger Campaign and momentarily relax from the stress and trauma of poverty.”

EECM is planning for a couple hundred meal-goers on February 12. According to a 2014 report by the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, Allegheny County has more individuals facing food insecurity than the number of individuals in poverty. Additionally, in 2012 the US Department of Treasury noted that Pittsburgh has the largest percentage of people residing in communities with low-supermarket access.

While lunch attends to the acute need of hunger, it is also an opportunity for EECM staff to connect with individuals and help them access services that might lift them out of poverty. Everyone is welcome at lunch, there are no questions asked of the attendees and no identification is required. Donations are welcome from those who can do so.

“We know that many people are not utilizing all of the services at their disposal, which could help them move beyond poverty and into self-sufficiency,” Mingrone notes. “Additionally, many individuals may not know that we can help them with job training, literacy coaching, and financial counseling. Lunch is a way to connect with the community, build trust, get to know each individual, and help them access our resources. We hope that this meal will have the same effect and bring new clients through our doors.”

To donate to EECM’s Community Nutrition Services program which provides the daily lunch and the Have a Heart for Hunger Community meal, please visit: http://www.eecm.org/give/

Who: East End Cooperative Ministry
What: Providing free meals to the community
When: Sunday, February 12, 2017 from 12-3pm
Where: EECM Community House 6140 Station Street Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Why: To provide a meal to those in need

East End Cooperative Ministry (EECM) was founded in 1970 as a collective response to changes in the community, born when the leaders of 18 local faith communities recognized that the troubles of the community were too great for any one of them to address alone. Starting with interracial breakfasts for Peabody High School students, EECM’s services have expanded as the needs of the community have dictated. For many of the individuals it serves, EECM provides the necessities of life: a hot meal, a safe, place to sleep, food for the family. For others, it is a place to regain strength after a hospital stay, a support system to work toward recovery, or one-on-one help to change life for the better. For young people, EECM is educational programs, drug and alcohol prevention programs, violence prevention programs, Summer Day Camp, and a concerted effort to show our children a better future. Our three programs include Children & Youth Services, Community Nutrition Services, and IMPACTS (Individuals Making Progress and Change through Self-Sufficiency).

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