THE
MANY
FACES OF
HUNGER
in the South Hills
South Hills Interfaith
Movement (SHIM) is
helping local individuals
meet basic needs
and move toward
self‑sufficiency.
J
im had worked at a local hospital
for nearly 10 years when his job was
eliminated. Months of searching for a
position with a similar income left him living
on his savings. As that quickly depleted,
he struggled to keep the bills paid and his
children fed until landing his next job. That’s
when he turned to South Hills Interfaith
Movement’s (SHIM) food pantry.
When Elaine’s husband passed away, she
was doing a pretty good job of managing
her expenses on a fixed income. But an
unexpected medical bill left her having to
choose between her prescriptions and food.
She needed a local place to turn for help.
For Meena and Rajen, 17 years of living
in a refugee camp in Nepal was trying.
Now living in the South Hills, they feel
blessed, although learning a new language,
finding jobs, and helping their two children
assimilate are daily challenges. He’s working
34 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | South Fayette
as a custodian and she in retail while they
pursue an education, reimagine their careers
and slowly rebuild their lives.
Every person who walks through the
doors of SHIM’s food pantries has a story.
They come from various backgrounds with
various needs. In fact, 66 percent of the
families served by SHIM have children; a
quarter of all food pantry users are under
the age of 12; half are gainfully employed;
and 38 percent of families get by on less than
$10,000 per year.
“Suburban poverty is growing at an
alarming rate—five times the rate of urban
poverty to be exact,” says Jim Guffey, SHIM’s
Executive Director. “Together, with teams of
dedicated volunteers, donors and partners,
we’re working to reduce the devastating
effects of suburban poverty among the
working poor, unemployed, families, single
parents, senior citizens, women and the
high concentration of refugee families in our
service area.”
SHIM helps local individuals meet basic
needs and move toward self-sufficiency.
Sometimes this means reacting to an
emergency situation for South Hills families
in need. Throughout the last three months
of 2016, 81 households went to SHIM for
emergency food. And in December, SHIM
saw record numbers of food pantry visits,
serving 526 families and 1,687 individuals.
“The winter and early spring are when
we see some of the highest need for food,
as many workers with outdoor jobs are laid
off,” explained Molly Patterson, Operations
Coordinator at SHIM. She noted that
December brought 36 first-time families to
SHIM’s food pantries, and 110 individuals.
“More than half of SHIM’s households have
at least one member who is employed. And
more than half are families with children.”