Free parking offer generates 3 truckloads of food donations from visitors to downtown Greensburg

Eight days of free meter parking in Greensburg resulted in at least three truckloads of food donations for the nonprofit Feeding the Spirit.

City administrator Kelsye Milliron said three truckloads were dropped off to the nonprofit on Thursday.

“They had to wait until (Friday) to do the rest because the back porch of Otterbein United Methodist Church was overflowing with boxes and donations,” she said.

Greensburg offered free parking at metered spaces from Nov. 11 to Wednesday to encourage motorists to donate nonperishable food and household items. It was an effort by city officials to help in light of the temporary suspension of federal food assistance earlier this month for about 46,000 people in Westmoreland County.

Numerous businesses around the city acted as drop-off points for donations. An estimate of how much was donated was not available Friday.

Feeding the Spirit immediately put them to use Thursday, handing out bags of groceries to those who picked up the nonprofit’s free weekly takeout meal at the Greensburg church. There were 365 meals distributed Thursday.

Nonprofit founder Deb Thackrah said volunteers will continue handing out the grocery bags over the next few weeks.

They also plan to use the donations to stock free food boxes around town. Thackrah said the organization is grateful to city officials for coming up with the idea, as well as the businesses that collected donations and those who contributed.

“We’re just so thrilled the community has such a big heart,” she said.