The Scrooges of Washington County
By Ben Bright January 4, 2021
In great times of need, people rely on the good deeds of others. Small acts of kindness, like giving someone a ride to a job interview, bringing coffee to your co-workers, or just being there for someone who needs a shoulder to cry on, are prevalent around us, and these gifts cannot be more precious. But beyond all of these little actions, we need to join together to make sure every person is kept safe and healthy in these troubling times. And all of us can agree that the basic necessities of life – food, clothing and shelter – should not be denied to anyone. That is why it is so disappointing that the Republican county commissioners decided to send much-needed funds targeted for the Greater Washington County Food Bank to Allegheny County.
In mid-December, just before the holidays, Republican County Commissioners Nick Sherman and Diana Irey Vaughan voted to send $280,000 of federal funds to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank instead of allocating it to the local county food bank, as they have in the past (Democrat Commissioner Larry Maggi voted against the move). The backlash from this vote has been fierce, with many people critical of the decision. Since the vote both Sherman and Irey Vaughan have had opinions published in the Observer-Reporter trying to convince Washington County citizens why taking these funds away from our local food bank and giving them to Allegheny County was a good idea. The commissioners seem to have become the Washington County version of Charles Dickens’ Ebenezer Scrooge, withholding funds from the needy during the Christmas season and making excuses for their rash decision. Bah, humbug!
The action has put the Washington County food bank in the dire position of having to distribute food to the needy with less resources and to defend themselves concerning decisions they have been forced to make due to the uncertainties caused by the pandemic. The commissioners decided that the federal money earmarked for local food banks was going to be better spent by the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. And while the Pittsburgh food bank does great work, it is hard to imagine the money will be used more efficiently outside of our county instead of remaining within.
The Washington County food bank already has the relationships and infrastructure to distribute food throughout the county, and by defunding the local agency, the commissioners have taken away their ability to improve their processes. And while the Pittsburgh food bank will use the money to serve only residents of Washington County, it is worth noting that it will take time and resources for an outside organization to build the network and volunteers necessary to distribute food here. Do Washington County residents have time to wait? Is now the time to waste resources on replicate services? The Allegheny County food bank has one distribution scheduled for Washington County, and it is not in one of the “underserved” areas that the Republican commissioners cited as being an issue and is not on a weekend, another issue cited.
Even prior to the pandemic the Washington food bank had begun the process of improving their services. Unfortunately, this meant closing inefficient food pantries. According to the commissioners, the food bank had numerous complaints about food spoilage. The pantries that were closed did not have on-site refrigeration, which was one of the reasons for the spoilage. So by closing these locations and reallocating their resources elsewhere, the county food bank had already begun to find solutions to better meet client needs. This means going to a more mobile “Trucks to Trunks” model to better serve the community, allowing for less spoilage and a greater variety of available food to be distributed. This appears to be the same model that the Pittsburgh food bank uses to distribute food to the ever-widening area it covers. Allowing the Washington food bank to continue to improve on what it is building instead of taking away essential funding makes much more sense.
The Washington County food bank is a private, nonprofit organization and continually looks for ways to improve its processes and increase revenues, or in this case, increase fundraising. But it seems that the decision by the commissioners was more personal, and possibly vindictive, rather than a pure business decision. It is widely known that since February (“Greater Washington County Food bank to close more pantries,” Feb. 12, O-R) the agency was closing various pantries and changing its distribution model. This gave the commissioners plenty of time to discuss with food bank leaders ways that the county could help the food bank better serve clients, rather than wait until the end of the year to cut off the food bank’s funding when the need is greatest.
The hope is that we do not see an appearance of the ghost of food bank future in which the Washington County food bank is no more. At the end of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,’’ Scrooge sees the light and gives charity to those close to him who are most in need. Hopefully, the Republican commissioners can do the same and find ways to help our local food bank instead of sending local money to organizations outside of our county.
While Washington County has grown and prospered over the past decades, there are still many in great need. The Washington County food bank has been here for them, and we need to ensure that it continues to help provide for them. Please visit www.washpadems.com for a link to donate directly to the food bank.
Ben Bright is the chairman of the Washington County Democratic Committee.
