412 Food Rescue plans second distribution at Fallingwater

One of the industries hardest hit by the covid-19 pandemic has been the tourism industry. This is especially true for the Laurel Highlands, where tourism supports about 15,000 jobs, according to some estimates.

With this in mind, 412 Food Rescue has scheduled another food distribution for Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Fallingwater house in Mill Run, a popular tourist destination.

The organizers said this distribution is open to anyone in need, and each household will receive a 25-pound box of fresh produce from local donor Paragon Foods. It’s available through the USDA’s Farmers to Families Food Box Program.

“In the Laurel Highlands area pandemic-related closures, furloughs and travel restrictions have hit industry workers and business owners hard,” said David Primm, 412 Food Rescue chief operating officer. “Providing access to fresh food is an important way to support them and other affected members of this community.”

It’s the second food distribution 412 Food Rescue has held at historic Fallingwater, a house designed by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935. The house was built partly over a waterfall on Bear Run in the Mill Run section of Stewart Township, Fayette County. It was designed as a weekend home for the family that owned Kaufmann’s Department Store.

“Fayette County has the second highest poverty rate in Pennsylvania and the highest rural poverty rate,” said Jen England, 412 Food Rescue senior program director.

“We entered the year with a commitment to increasing our efforts to fight hunger in the rural areas of Southwestern, Pennsylvania. Now with the covid crisis, that is more important than ever. We were already looking for a location in Fayette County when Fallingwater reached out to us and we were so grateful for the opportunity to partner with them.”

Fallingwater director Justin Gunther said the organization was happy to help.

“As tourism and local businesses slowly restart, many families throughout our region are still navigating difficult financial times,” said Gunther. “Fallingwater and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy are pleased to serve as a distribution site for 412 Food Rescue.”

Since March, the nonprofit organization has added more than 2,800 new volunteers on its mobile app and distributed over 24,000 meals to bus stops in Pittsburgh, Sto-Rox School District and McKeesport School District.

It has also started a home delivery program that has distributed food boxes to more than 1,500 households in Pittsburgh and Beaver County.