Steady rise in need for meals keeps Feeding the Spirit volunteers busy in Greensburg

Wendy Smith was first in line Thursday, waiting for the OK under a hot August sun to pick up dinner.

Finances are tight for the Greensburg woman and her son, who get $100 a month in government food assistance. It’s not enough, she said.

Like dozens of others who come by car and on foot every Thursday, they rely on Greensburg nonprofit Feeding the Spirit to fill a gap, and their stomachs.

“This is our only meal of the week, like a good quality meal,” Smith said.

Feeding the Spirit volunteers who hand out fresh meals during a weekly drive-thru in Greensburg have noticed a steady rise in need over the last eight months. Founder Deb Thackrah said they’ve seen increases of 20% to 30% weekly in the amount of meals being requested.

The nonprofit in January had to up the number of prepackaged hot dinners it orders from a handful of local restaurants and businesses — 150 to 175 — to make sure no one is turned away, meal coordinator Karen Douglas said.

“It’s a product of the times right now,” Thackrah said.

One week in January, volunteers handed out 248 meals — in addition to the 175 homemade dinners. Morelands at Waterworks donates 48 boxed lunches every Thursday, and volunteers have a stash of other food items supplied by community grocers and organizations in case demand is high.

By June 5, a record was set at 287 meals — 62 for people on foot and 225 for those who drove.

That was bested Aug. 7 when a whopping 362 meals were handed out in 45 minutes — 79 to those on foot and 284 for people in vehicles.

“A lot of the people … do have jobs, but they can’t quite make it,” Douglas said.

On Thursday, visitors picked up 292 meals. Metz Culinary provided 175 of them. As a comparison, 221 meals were distributed the second Thursday in August 2024.

Almost 11,000 meals were handed out in 2024. There are no income guidelines.

“I can just see the need increasing even more … it’s not going to get better anytime soon,” Douglas said.

Feeding the Spirit was founded in 2011. In the years after, volunteers held weekly meals inside Otterbein United Methodist Church, typically for about 100 people. When the coronavirus pandemic hit, they had to get creative and began distributing food on Saturdays at St. Clair Park.

The drive-thru model eventually was created, and it’s stuck around, even though, Thackrah said, it meant the volunteers weren’t able to connect as much with the meal recipients. But, this way, they’re able to help so many more people, Douglas said.

“We try to do it very personally and we take as much time as we need with them,” Thackrah said.

That approach has helped volunteer Bill Ludwig notice a lot of new faces over the last few weeks.

His personalized interaction was visible Thursday afternoon while greeting the drivers lined up in a parking lot off Pallitta Avenue. He and Tom Bailey sent them, three or four at a time, on a choreographed short drive to Otterbein, where they circled through the church’s small parking lot to pick up meals, fresh eggs, pet food, cookies, paper products and cleaning supplies, whatever the volunteers had on hand. Diapers for children are typically a hot commodity.

“Go boss, go boss, see you next week,” Ludwig said cheerfully while sweat glistened on his chest. “Hi honey, see you next week, OK?”

About 20 volunteers run the whirlwind distribution. But the nonprofit’s support goes beyond the meals. It can provide rent and utility assistance, funding for homeless placement and help with gas, medical and other expenses.

Ian Fowler of Greensburg said he’s gotten kindness from Feeding the Spirit in the form of meals, help with bills and a place to live as a survivor of human trafficking. Fowler said he’s also been assisted by international human rights group Walk Free and the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking.

Now, he gives back to the Greensburg nonprofit, helping to package pet food donated by Ninth Life Rescue Center for distribution with the meals.

“If this place didn’t exist, I wouldn’t be able to feed my cat,” he said. “This place is a big deal.”

Smith thinks so, too. She’s also gotten help with moving expenses aside from visiting the weekly meal distribution.

“I hope they don’t get rid of this because it’s really necessary,” she said.