Excela employees donate $80K to Westmoreland food bank

The Westmoreland County Food Bank has seen an “overwhelming” increase in need with no end in sight, CEO Jennifer Miller said.

“Our biggest obstacle right now is the unknown,” she said.

But the organization knows for sure it can count on an $80,000 donation from Excela Health employees.

“This $80,000 that we will receive from Excela will be put to very good use,” Miller said.

The community support the health system has received during the pandemic has been gratifying to those who work there, but employees were seeing others whose lives have been impacted by state government-ordered shutdowns of businesses, said Dr. Carol Fox, chief medical officer.

The idea for a donation drive to return the favor to the community came during a management meeting last month, said Excela Health CEO John Sphon. It immediately took off.

“It was just really right across the board here,” he said. “We thought this is the least we could do to say thanks.”

Three weeks later, $80,000 was ready to go. Large-scale food distributions have been ongoing elsewhere for weeks, but the Westmoreland County Food Bank has opted to direct those in need to food pantries in the communities where they live.

The funds could help some with special diet restrictions who may be having difficulty finding or affording the right food, Fox said. That situation happened recently when a family that lost two incomes was given food to help their daughter who has celiac disease, Miller said.

A donation of that magnitude from community members is unusual for the food bank, but shows the importance of connecting health and nutrition, Miller said. She is grateful to those who contributed to the fund.

“A large donation like this doesn’t happen very often,” she said.

At the end of April, the food bank helped 2,000 more families than normal. It typically helps feed between 6,500 and 7,000 families in a month.

“Whether or not this continues on … that all still remains to be seen,” Miller said.

The cost associated with helping those in need is on the rise, too. The food bank is using 18,000 boxes per month to package food. The cost for just the boxes is between $25,000 and $30,000, Miller said. The number of volunteers has more than doubled since the pandemic started, with about 1,300 streaming into the organization’s headquarters near Delmont.

Now they’re planning for the increased need continuing through the end of 2020. Medical professionals have said the coronavirus may surge again in the fall and winter months.

“If that happens, we don’t want to be caught off guard,” Miller said.