Nine organizations awarded Community Food Solutions grants

PITTSBURGH (Feb. 2, 2026) – United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania has awarded Community Food Solutions grants totaling $55,925 to nine Allegheny County organizations. Grants will support food pantries, community gardens, farms and other organizations, helping expand food production and increase food access, nutrition education and other resources that connect community members with healthy, fresh foods.  

Now in its eighth cycle of grantmaking, the Community Food Solutions initiative awards grants of up to $7,500 to organizations and groups working to combat food insecurity in their neighborhoods. Grants are intended to increase the capacity of local, grassroots organizations that have expertise in the needs of their neighborhoods but who may be new to applying for grants. Community Food Solutions grants are distributed at least twice annually, depending on funding availability. Applications for United Way’s most recent Community Food Solutions cycle opened in August and closed in September 2025. Applicants were notified in Q4 2025 about funding decisions.  

Among the awardees is Jamar Place of Peace, which operates a food pantry and community meal program serving Penn Hills residents. The nonprofit plans to use its $7,500 Community Food Solutions grant to support the purchase of a van to provide consistent food deliveries to older adults, families and individuals facing food insecurity in the Penn Hills area. St. Michael and All Angels Food Bank, serving Pittsburgh’s Spring Garden neighborhood, plans to use its $3,500 Community Food Solutions grant to provide collapsible carts and insulated freezer bags to clients who walk long distances, often in extreme weather, to access food. 

Since 2023, United Way has awarded 73 grants totaling $363,645 to 62 organizations through Community Food Solutions. A steering committee of leading food security-focused organizations in the field provides every cohort of grantees with resources, connections and technical assistance. Community Food Solutions is a United Way Community Change Collaborative. Community Change Collaboratives bring stakeholders together from a variety of sectors — including public, private, nonprofit, foundation and education — to generate innovative and real-world solutions to challenges that affect a wide cross-section of our communities.