United Way volunteers to pack 1,750 meal kits for local families
Who: United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania staff and volunteers; Sally Ellwein, chief program and policy officer and Wendy Koch, senior director of regional engagement, United Way; Christina Morascyzk, senior vice president, enterprise real estate, Giant Eagle.
What: On Sept. 22, 23 and 24, United Way will hold its first of two annual meal kit packing events at David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Volunteers will pack 1,750 meal kits to be distributed to families across our region by United Way partner agencies. Each meal kit includes all the ingredients needed to make two nutritious breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners for a family of four and recipe cards with instructions. Meal Kit Packing is made possible with support from Bayer, Giant Eagle, Highmark Health and S&T Bank.
Where: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Exhibit Hall D. 1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Enter through the West Lobby, off 10th Street.
When: Media are invited to attend on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, between 6 and 7 p.m.
Why: Access to nutritious food helps children learn, families thrive and communities grow stronger. As rising food costs and changes to SNAP food assistance further strain household budgets, United Way partner agencies are seeing growing demand for food assistance. Meal kits packed by volunteers will give nonprofit human services agencies across our region an additional resource to support the families they serve. United Way’s PA 211 Southwest human services contact center saw a 16% increase in basic needs requests including food last year.
In addition to organizing high-impact volunteer events, United Way invests $3.4 million annually in programs that help local people meet their basic needs, including food access. Through its Community Food Solutions program, United Way also awards grants to organizations and groups working to combat food insecurity in their neighborhoods. Since 2023, United Way has awarded 81 grants totaling $418,145 to 66 organizations through Community Food Solutions.