Nonprofits adjust services, volunteer opportunities to keep serving communities

As businesses close and workers face drastic pay cuts, the need for functioning nonprofit organizations has never been greater, said Phil Koch, executive director of the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County.

Unfortunately, those nonprofits are facing the same challenges as everyone else.

“Many of our nonprofit organizations rely on events for their revenue model,” Koch said. “If they can’t do in-person events like golf outings and gun bashes and bowling events, then they won’t have the money they need to serve the people.”

A number of organizations in Western Pennsylvania have adjusted their services — and their volunteer opportunities — to stay functional during the covid-19 pandemic.

North Hills Community Outreach offers a range of services to individuals and families in northern Allegheny County, including a food pantry, senior services, legal advice, employment assistance and more.

Jeff Geissler, communications coordinator, said his organization has had to limit programs significantly since offices closed. Food pantries have shuttered, and many one-on-one services like tax help and other counseling have had to cease.

“We’re doing as much as we can with as few volunteers as possible,” Geissler said.

To distribute food for NHCO, new volunteers must go through an orientation — which seems impossible at the moment. Geissler said the organization is encouraging people to help in other ways, like making monetary donations online, ordering food on Amazon and having it delivered to the NHCO office or donating gift cards for places like Giant Eagle and Target.

“We offer a variety of programs for low-income people, and they’re going to have even less money now,” Geissler said. “Financial donations are going to be a huge, huge help.”

Kiski Valley Food Bank has also had to adjust its number of in-person volunteers — relying on two or three regulars that come in for an hour or so a few times a week. The best way for people to help during the pandemic, Administrator Jeff Garrett said, is to donate more food.

“Our demand has increased greatly in just the last week,” Garrett said. “We’ve probably given five times as much as we normally get in a month.”

412 Food Rescue, an organization that transfers surplus food from retailers to nonprofit partners, decided to only work with donors who could provide gloves and other safety equipment to volunteers — but not everyone could do that. As a result, some operations had to be paused, said CEO and co-founder Leah Lizarondo.

“There’s so much need on one side, but we’re kind of doing this with one hand tied behind our back,” Lizarondo said.

Since no contact is needed between volunteers and the food suppliers, Lizarondo said there has been a gratifying “burst” in volunteerism — and the need will only increase as the organization adjusts its food distribution protocol. Lizarondo encouraged interested volunteers to download the Food Rescue Hero mobile app to get involved in the organization’s network.

“It’s the perfect way to volunteer,” she said.

Every nonprofit in the region has its own unique needs, Koch said. The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County has been inundated with calls from organizations that are struggling under the closures. In such a hectic period, they’re working overtime to meet with clients and fill the needs that have emerged. As a result, Koch said, nonprofits hardly have time to publicize their own needs.

“We wait for nonprofits to say what they need, as opposed to offering to help,” Koch said.

Koch recommended that people reach out to nonprofits directly to ask them the best way to help. He also encouraged people to give to the Emergency Action Fund, a fund through the Pittsburgh Foundation that will offer grants to nonprofits in the region. Its website is pittsburghfoundation.org/emergencyactionfund.

He also suggested contacting the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania (uwswpa.org), which can connect volunteers with all sorts of opportunities to help.

Nonprofits and officials agree, the initiative to help those in need has become imperative under the circumstances.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro unveiled a social media campaign Thursday with the hashtag #HereAreTheHelpers, to promote and showcase casual kindness during this time of crisis. Shapiro’s social media accounts will post daily updates to highlight Pennsylvania residents “going above and beyond.”

“There’s so many amazing stories of the helpers,” Shapiro said in a briefing Thursday. “It’s these random acts of kindness that are showing us the very best of who we are as Pennsylvanians, the very best of who we are as Americans.”