Food Podcast: North Hills Community Outreach continues mission of serving

The North Hills Community Outreach serves dozens of communities in the northern part of Allegheny County, offering various life-stabilization services.

Its food pantry is just one.

“We see our food pantry as a conduit to a conversation,” said Tom Baker, NHCO executive director. “We have 20 total services that we oversee. In fact, folks can get a lot more than just food at our food pantry.”

NHCO has hosted giveaways and drives for winter coats, holiday gifts, utility assistance and cleaning supplies. The organization currently offers tax preparation assistance.

“With 28 staff members and 1,100 volunteers, we help over 3,500 families throughout the course of the year,” Baker said. “We cover 40 ZIP codes and 50 communities, so we really are one of the largest social service providers in northern Allegheny County.”

During the past year, NHCO has seen an increase in need, not only for food assistance.

“We’ve had 500-plus new families get involved with NHCO over the last year,” Baker said. “We’ve seen more need and certainly the things we provide at NHCO — food, shelter, warmth, transportation — are essential.”

Kelly Strutt oversees the food pantry’s operations. Her job became even more important as the pandemic worsened last spring.

“At the beginning of the pandemic, we were seeing sometimes two or three times as many families come to us for food assistance,” said Strutt, NHCO food pantry coordinator.

Strutt said the NHCO continually works to reduce the stigma that people in certain areas, including in the North Hills, do not need food assistance.

“There is nothing wrong with asking for help, and our staff is always here to meet those misconceptions and meet the need that individuals may have,” Strutt said.

If you are interested in learning more about NHCO or getting involved, go to nhco.org.

Listen: The North Hills Community Outreach continues its commitment to serving