Report Finds $298K In Food Undistributed

An internal inventory report determined that more than $298,000 in food purchased by the Greater Washington County Food Bank went undistributed last year.  The report says that food was bought through a state food program with federal COVID-19 relief funds. It came as food insecurity was at its highest during the pandemic. Staff reportedly conducted the inventory in February after Washington County Commissioners voted to redirect some $240,000 in state and federal money to the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank. Commissioner’s Chairman Diana Irey-Vaughan tells WJPA News that they were aware “there was an issue with the distribution of product” but says “the volume was larger than we had anticipated”.  Irey-Vaughan says “twelve pantries were closed during the pandemic” and “going from the truck-to-trunk model, we knew that food insecurity was on the rise and there wasn’t enough product getting to the community.”  WJPA has reached out to the Greater Washington County Food Bank for comment but has yet to hear back from them.