The giveaway for fresh products draws a steady electricity to monessen

The vehicles flocked through the East Gate car park on Wednesday.

At the end of the line there were boxes with food that were administered as part of the Highmark Wholecare 2025 Farm-to-Family Produce Program.

“It is a steady stream of people, and that's great,” said Jennifer Miller, CEO of Westmoreland County Food Bank.

Miller explained that each box contained 20 pounds of fresh products and contained 500 boxes for taking it there.

“It's a change,” she said. “It could be a bit of everything. It is mostly their hard fruits – apples, oranges. It could be a bit corn. Sometimes there is a mix.”

The stop in Monessen was one of 25 in a tour that will bring more than £ 120,000 fresh products in Pennsylvania. No pre -administration was required, and no income guidelines had to be required to get the food.

“Everyone is entitled to come,” said Mike Callaghan, Connection Center Supervisor for Highmark full cards when he led the traffic. “You just have to drive through and get the food. This is the first run that we have made for one of our distributions.”

Callaghan emphasized how important it is to tackle the uncertainty of food.

“It is a great problem for people – affordable food – and we try to eat people healthy,” he said. “If you think about being hungry, do not think about going to the doctor, you don't think of your children as you need. If you don't think healthy, you can't be healthy. Eating is medicine. The idea is to get these people up and help them give them a break.”

The distribution on Wednesday was the first time that West Moreland County Food Bank worked with Highmark Wholecare, based in Pittsburgh.

“So far, so good,” said Miller. “The program is usually a mobile market program in which we take our mobile market truck with us, and everyone in the community is invited to enjoy the fresh products. This is a little different because we have done it in mass quantities. In this way, people can get down and get the big boxes.”

Highmark Whholecare piled the approach in 2024 and distributed 84,000 pounds of food to 3,500 families. Due to the overwhelming demand and the effects of the community, the program rose by 40%in 2025.

Recently there has been a formal start at the Sto-Rox High School, which marked the beginning of a multi-county rollout that will extend until autumn. Future websites are Charleroi, of which Callaghan should take place in the next few weeks.

“We will carry out 25 free farmers everywhere in the state,” said Callaghan. “The idea is to help people with nutritional uncertainty and to help them live a healthier life. We want to give away 120,000 pounds of food, and we are on the best way. If we give everything away (Wednesday), we will be at 10,000 pounds.”