United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania receives $50,000 grant from Bayer Fund
ALLEGHENY COUNTY (Jan. 7, 2025) – United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania has received a $50,000 grant from Bayer Fund, a philanthropic arm of Bayer in the U.S., for its Community Food Solutions initiative and in support of a large-scale food packing event. In the spring of 2025, this event will bring together 200 volunteers to provide more than 1,700 healthy meal boxes to families in the area.
United Way’s Community Food Solutions initiative, now in its third year, unites local thought leaders and key stakeholders in the areas of healthy food and food security to collaborate in creating equitable access to healthy, affordable food. The program supports United Way’s efforts to help families across the region meet their basic needs.
“United Way is grateful to Bayer Fund for its continued support of our Community Food Solutions Collaborative. We know that local organizations and community-based groups have a deep understanding of their neighborhoods and are uniquely equipped to find solutions and strategies to address any challenges. Our role is to support their incredible work at the grassroots level through mini-grants, technical assistance and connections to additional resources that increase access to healthy, sustainable food sources where they are needed most,” said United Way Chief Program and Policy Officer Sally Ellwein.
Many areas in and around the region have limited or no convenient access to healthy and affordable food. Also, many working families do not earn enough to pay for basic needs, including food, despite sometimes working two or more jobs. According to United Way’s ALICE (Asset limited, income constrained, and employed) data set, 41% of people in United Way’s five-county service area do not earn enough to pay for daily living expenses such as housing, food, child care, health care, transportation and basic technology. With the help of Bayer Fund, United Way is able to better coordinate with local organizations working to address barriers to food access in their neighborhoods.
Community Food Solutions has established a steering committee of local experts made up of local nonprofits, government entities and corporate partners. Since its inception, the program has funded 51 community led projects that address food insecurity. These include culinary workshops for youth and adults, pilot projects to increase soil and land utilization for small farms and funding building repairs and upgrades to make programs more accessible to older adults and community members with mobility challenges. Grantees receive technical assistance and support from members of the steering committee.
“Through Bayer Fund’s giving, we’re enabling and strengthening organizations that are working to make real, sustainable impacts in their local communities across the United States,” said Al Mitchell, president of Bayer Fund. “Programs like United Way’s Community Food Solutions bring providers together to innovate and collaborate, and we’re proud to play a role with helping even more people in our community have access to healthy, nutritious food.”
To learn more about United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania visit unitedwayswpa.org.
To learn more about Bayer Fund visit fund.bayer.us.