This Thanksgiving, help is on the other end of the line in Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — All month long, we've highlighted the importance of donating to the KDKA-TV Turkey Fund.
But many people still hope to land on the receiving end of someone's generosity. KDKA's Meghan Schiller set out to answer: Is it too late to find help?
Turns out, help is right on the other end of the line here in Pittsburgh.
"All they have to do is dial 211, and that's gonna connect them with our resource navigators," said Cinda Watkins, 211 senior director at United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Watkins wants Pittsburghers to know it's not too late to find help, even though it's five days out from Thanksgiving. United Way's PA 211 Southwest wants to help. People can either call 211, text their zip code to 898-211 or visit PA211SW.org.
"Via that website, they can either search our database themselves if they would prefer, or they can chat online with one of our resource navigators," said Watkins.
Watkins told KDKA's Meghan Schiller that it's easiest for people to get on the phone with one of the resource navigators because they can have a conversation with the person with all the resources right in front of them on their screens.
"What we find is that we have a conversation with them because normally it's not just that the holidays came up and they're needing holiday items. Many times, they're struggling with rent, utilities and those types of things," said Watkins.
The resource navigators will set people up with the nearest food banks, likely one of the 1,000-plus that partner with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.
"We all deserve the most basic elements, which are food, shelter, clothing. And it's OK to say I need help sometimes," said Beth Burrell of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.
Burrell says she wants people to know they're not alone. Inflation's doing a number on all of us.
"The heartbreaking thing is that our call volume this year is up 82 percent compared to last year at the same time," Burrell said.
There are still a few large food drives to take advantage of in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. For the full list, click here.