Penn Hills High School to host food distribution event Thursday afternoon

Penn Hills High School will host a food distribution event through the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box program.

The event is scheduled for 3:30-5:30 p.m. Thursday at 309 Collins Drive.

About 50 volunteers, including members of the school’s football team, will assist in delivering goods to about 480 families that afternoon, according to district athletic director Stephanie Strauss.

“It’s a good opportunity to help our local community,” she said. “There are families that need support. We offer a good central location for families that need additional food.”

All volunteers will have masks and practice social distancing. Participants will be allowed at the school starting around 2:45 p.m. so the event does not impact student dismissal.

Families must enter via Garland Drive and exit along Collins Drive. They can pull up to the school, open their trunk and volunteers will load boxes into the vehicles.

Food includes produce, meats, dairy products and milk. No registration or proof of residency is required.

The program is designed to help farmers, food banks and those in need of food, according to the USDA.

Fresh produce, dairy and meat products is purchased from American farms and companies and distributors package these products into family-sized boxes, then transport them to food banks, community and faith-based organizations, and other non-profits serving Americans in need, according to the USDA.

President Donald Trump and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced in August the authorization of up to an additional $1 billion for the program, raising the total funding of the program from its initial $3 billion to up $4 billion.

More information about the program is available at ams.usda.gov.