Greater Washington County Food Bank Taking An Innovative Approach to the Food Bank Model

Since 1982, the Greater Washington County Food Bank, a non-profit organization, has provided groceries and nutritional information and education to food insecure residents of Washington County.

Washington County currently has an estimated 21,000 people who are food insecure. We distribute food through our network of roughly 25 distribution locations while consistently working closely with other agencies to distribute food throughout the county. As it stands in 2025, over 30% of our recipients are children under the age of 18, and over 20% of our recipients are senior citizens. We rely primarily on community support to meet our objectives in a caring and compassionate way.

The Greater Washington County Food Bank Supports 3 Key Programs:

  • Community Food Distribution Program provides 1,500+ families monthly with a box of nutritious supplements. Washington County residents can register to receive support by contacting our offices.
  • The Pennsylvania Senior Food Box Program in Washington and Greene Counties is administered by the Greater Washington County Food Bank. Monthly food boxes are provided to nearly 1,900 low-income senior citizens, aged 60+, to supplement their diets with nutritious foods. Eligibility is based on age and household income, which is capped at 150% of the U.S. poverty level. For more information on qualifying and applying, please click here.
  • School Programs:
    • LittleMoochi® was developed by the Greater Washington County Food Bank and provides nearly 10,000 students monthly in 14 Washington County school districts with healthy LittleMoochi® Packs filled with healthy snacks to support the program at home and in the classroom. There is also an app, created in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University, that helps children build healthy eating habits through play. Learn more about the award-winning LittleMoochi® app.
    • School Pantries: The federal and state changes in funding for food programs in the Fall of 2025 created a dire need to address food insecurity in several school districts in Washington County. The team at the Greater Washington County Food Bank quickly responded by providing food subsidies to several school districts to establish an in-school Food Helpers Pantry to provide nourishment for students to take home for evenings and weekends. We are collaborating with Intermediate Unit 1 and Washington County Department of Human Services to navigate the establishment of the pantry system in schools requesting support and are looking for additional corporate support to grow the program. If you are interested in, or know someone who would be interested in helping, please contact us.

    The development of these complementary programs allows our organization to not only feed the hungry but address the socioeconomic factors that lead someone toward food insecurity. By providing education and resources, low-cost retail experiences, and instruction on growing one’s own food, we can weaken the chain of events that lead to food insecurity.

    The Greater Washington County Food Bank has received years of constant recognition for our innovative approaches to the food banking model. Our non-profit feeds the hungry and connects those in need with those who can provide assistance.

    Our focus brings our community in Washington County and Southwestern Pennsylvania together as someone who can help. Through our programs, the Greater Washington County Food Bank provides a well-rounded experience of escaping the food insecurity cycle. We focus on the distribution of the freshest, locally grown produce, providing nutritious meals instead of just calories in bulk.