Dear Friends,

What a year this has been! I must admit, I struggled with this newsletter, trying to be concise in describing what Rainbow Kitchen has accomplished this year, the impact the pandemic has had on the people we serve, and on our organization. I imagine that you can easily relate from your own experiences of this year, when I say that the bottom line – what we did, how it turned out – does not even begin to tell the whole story. Like you, we have been through a great deal this year, and we have learned so much. 2020 has certainly been difficult, but as I revisit the details of Rainbow Kitchen’s year, what stands out for me is the gratitude I feel.

I am more grateful than I can ever say for the strength, courage, compassion, determination and dedication of the 5 people that I have the honor of working with every day at Rainbow Kitchen, and I am happy to have this opportunity to acknowledge them. Our staff has risen to every challenge that this year has presented, with good grace and a strong commitment to doing what it takes to serve our neighbors in need. I am also very grateful for your generous support, which makes our success possible. On behalf of everyone at Rainbow Kitchen Community Services, I wish you peace, health and happiness this holiday season and in the New Year!

Donna Little, Executive Director

Holiday Activities

Rainbow Kitchen Thanksgiving Food Distribution

Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office and North Versailles Walmart volunteers setting up for a socially-distanced Thanksgiving food distribution

This year for the first time, Rainbow Kitchen was not able to offer companionship and a Thanksgiving Day feast in our dining room to those in need. Our staff made the most of the situation by preparing a traditional turkey dinner, which we served as a takeout meal on Thanksgiving. Each of our guests received a pie donated by Omni Masonic Lodge, Dravosburg. Our staff will also be preparing and serving a takeout holiday meal on Christmas Day.

This has been, by far, the busiest holiday season we have experienced at Rainbow Kitchen. In November our Food Pantry program served more households than ever before, providing supplemental groceries as well as all of the foods needed for Thanksgiving dinner. Some of the ways we helped to brighten this holiday season for our low-income neighbors:

  • 450 households received Giant Eagle gift cards from the KDKA Turkey Fund
  • 300 families received a Walmart gift card and all of the traditional Thanksgiving foods, donated by the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office and North Versailles Walmart
  • 225 children from our Food Pantry families and Kids Café received holiday gifts, thanks to our friends at 3M|M*Modal and St. Therese Church
  • 200 Kids Cafe & Breakfast program participants received Blessing Bags full of toiletries, snacks, gloves, socks & more from Beth El Congregation
  • 100 families received turkeys and holiday meal baskets donated by Churchill Wilkins Rotary & CCAC Boyce Student Physical Therapist Assistant Club, and the Pittsburgh Penguins
  • 16 families were adopted through Rainbow Kitchen’s Adopt-a-Family holiday gift program

Programs & Services

Through November, with a busy December on tap:

  • Rainbow Kitchen distributed 438,725 pounds of supplemental groceries to families in need through our Food Pantry program – a 46% increase over last year!
  • Monthly pantry attendance grew from an average of 400 households per month in January through March, to 700 households in November.
  • We served a total of 884 unduplicated households (i.e. counting each family only once, regardless of how many
    times they visited the pantry) of which 344 were new households (no previous pantry visits). We expect this trend of increased need in our community to continue for the foreseeable future.
  • We served 18,220 substantial daily meals through our Breakfast program, and provided our Breakfast participants with an abundance of additional perishable and non-perishable foods, as well as various non-food items (gloves, hats, face masks, personal hygiene items, etc.) as available.
  • We provided 8,080 nutritious Kids Café dinner meals to hungry low-income children. As noted in the Covid Response section of this newsletter, the pandemic led to a temporary suspension of the Kids Café program, followed by program sites resuming at a reduced capacity. We provided children’s face masks, and sent personal hygiene items and laundry supplies for our Kids Café families several times this year.
  • Pre-pandemic, we also provided afternoon snacks to serve 45 children per day at Carnegie Library of Homestead.
  • Through our Case Management and supportive services program, we provided help with immediate needs, as well as short-term and extended case management/self-sufficiency services to assist with the multitude of other needs faced by our low income neighbors.

Some of the other outcomes of our programs and supportive services this year include:

  • 400 books were distributed to children
  • 100 seniors received Commodity Supplemental Food Program/extra monthly food assistance
  • 100 children received back-to-school supplies
  • 80 individuals received free vision exams and eyeglasses
  • 35 individuals received assistance with drug and alcohol issues
  • 33 families were assisted in applying for SNAP (food stamp) benefits
  • 30 individuals received added Medicare benefits and help with medical and prescription needs
  • 30 children were excited to receive “official” Pittsburgh Steelers clothing items from the Steelers via the United Way of Southwestern PA

We are pleased to partner with Animal Friends Chow Wagon program to provide pet food to people in need, especially important now when many people are isolated and struggling to afford food for the beloved pets on whom they rely for companionship.

Although we have been unable to invite other service providers to visit our programs to offer in-person outreach, we provide everyone who accesses our services with packets of information on resources that are available for an extensive variety of needs, including these and more:

  • Covid-19 – testing sites, safety tips, emergency funds, unemployment, free internet access
  • Employment – hiring events & job openings, career training, assistance with all aspects of seeking, obtaining & maintaining employment
  • Crisis assistance programs – utilities, housing, financial, SNAP, medical, general resources
  • Health care – maintaining health & wellness, financial assistance, clinics, health insurance, free flu shots, substance abuse
  • Family support – family centers, childcare, multiservice agencies, virtual programs for children
  • Seniors – food assistance & deliveries, aging in place, directory of senior resources
  • Mental health services
  • Special needs services
  • Veterans services
  • Shelters
  • Material needs
  • Transportation
  • Literacy
  • Violence prevention

We Get By With a Little Help From Our Friends

On March 16th, we all entered whole new world – we had a state of emergency, non-essential businesses were asked to close, and other mitigation measures were in place. It was daunting to consider how we at Rainbow Kitchen would continue to provide essential services under these circumstances. But it quickly became apparent that good friends had our backs.

The Allegheny County Dept. of Human Services (DHS) immediately began hosting regular calls with service providers to share information, provide guidance, and address our questions, concerns and needs. The ongoing support we receive from DHS has enabled us to adapt and respond to continually changing circumstances. The Pittsburgh Foundation also stepped forward immediately, reaching out to inquire about our needs and concerns, and to offer guidance, support, and emergency grant opportunities.

We have operated almost exclusively without volunteers since mid-March, to protect our staff and volunteers. But when a window of “relative safety” opened up, and we were particularly overwhelmed, volunteers from PA American Water (the hardest working people you will ever meet) came to help, and were there for us every time we needed them.

Listak Gulf Service in Munhall donated a portion of their proceeds from every gallon sold in the month of May, and again in November. This act of generosity was especially meaningful because John Listak called to discuss this the very same day in April that the price of oil went to less than zero dollars a barrel, yet he was undeterred in his desire to help.

Eat’n Park is donating all of the daily meals for our Breakfast program for the month of December.

We received tremendous support & encouragement from so many of our friends in the community, and it has made all the difference this year!

Foundation Support

We are thankful for the generous support of these foundations and donor-advised funds:

  • 3M Foundation
  • Allegheny County Bar Foundation – Attorneys Against Hunger Campaign
  • American Water Charitable Foundation
  • Anne L. and George H. Clapp Charitable & Educational Trust
  • Bernstein/Schoen Family Fund
  • CSX Foundation
  • Epic Charitable Fund
  • Michael & Susanna Finke Villekulla Fund
  • Giving2Grow
  • The Goodcoin Foundation – Target Circle
  • Jewish Community Foundation –The Rackoff Family Fund
  • Jewish Healthcare Foundation
  • Kennywood Entertainment Cares
  • Massey Charitable Trust
  • McKeesport Hospital Foundation
  • Joseph & Diane McNally Family Giving Fund
  • McNaughton Family Charitable Fund
  • The Park Foundation
  • Hyman and Lillyann G. Parker Foundation
  • The W.I. Patterson Charitable Fund
  • The Pittsburgh Foundation – COVID-19 Emergency Action Fund, Critical Needs Alert, President’s Discretionary Fund,Anonymous Fund, John and Betsy Baun Fund, Sherman Evans Fund, Interboro College Fund, Charlotte Parks Kelly Memorial Fund, Lehner Family Fund, M & S Fund, Nathan Minoski Memorial Fund, Rimmel Family Fund, Terry and Janet Serafini Fund, David A. Smith Family Fund, Howard K. and Alison M. Walter Fund
  • Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation
  • Pittsburgh Presbytery Hunger Fund
  • PNC Bank Foundation
  • PNC Charitable Trust – John E. & Sue M. Jackson Charitable Trust
  • PPG Industries Foundation
  • United Way SWPA – Pgh. Steelers Draft-a-Thon