The Greater Washington County Food Bank announced Monday it is renaming the organization “Food Helpers” as the nonprofit seeks to rebrand itself and present a new vision for how it will help the community.
Food Helpers will operate as an umbrella organization that offers a wide range of resources and education to people suffering from food insecurity, according to a press release.
The food bank will to some extent remain within the whole organization, which also includes a center for education and training on “good habits”; County Thrift Market, which will continue to offer discounted clothing and household items at its Centerville store; and “La Ferme”, which teaches agricultural techniques and offers a weekly market every Tuesday.
Food bank officials said the rebranding effort is the culmination of a five-year effort to remake the organization. Executive Director Connie Burd noted that the Greater Washington County Food Bank will remain one of four divisions under the Food Helpers umbrella.
“Over the past five years, the Greater Washington County Food Bank has transformed the food banking industry with innovative and proactive approaches to address the unique issues that cause food insecurity,” Burd said in a written statement. “We became more than a food bank so we needed a new brand to represent this growth. “
The change comes nearly seven months after Washington County commissioners in December decided to redirect more than $ 240,000 in state and federal funds from the food bank to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. In reallocating the funds, the commissioners essentially chose the Pittsburgh Food Bank to run the county’s pantries and run other distribution campaigns.
While there were initial discussions about the collaboration between the two food banks, officials at the Greater Washington County food bank hinted at the rebranding plan in April when they announced that the organization would take a different direction after Pittsburgh took over as head of county food distribution. starting June 30.
Among the new initiatives Food Helpers is launching this year is the Community Outreach Food Program, which will use the food bank’s “Truck to Trunk” delivery operation that began in late 2019. The Emergency Program Short-Term, or STEP, will prepare and deliver hot meals to people with short-term health problems who have a limited support system at home or who are recently unemployed.
The food bank itself will continue to administer the state’s Senior Food Box program in Washington County, which provides nutritious food to low-income people over the age of 60, either on their premises or through local distribution.
“Our community has proven time and again over the years that they want to help, and so we are optimistic that the tremendous community support we received under our previous brand will continue under our new Food Helpers brand,” said the Chairman of the Board, Chris Claspy, in a statement. written statement.
The rebranding effort included a new logo and a redesigned website at www.FoodHelpers.org that explains the four divisions within the nonprofit organization and the roles they will play in the community.