Growing Community Through Food
Celebrate the people helping their communities access fresh food.
According to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, one in nine residents and one in six kids are food insecure in Allegheny County. Fresh fruits and vegetables are often out of reach on tight food budgets. The on-going causes of food insecurity are deeply rooted, but this exhibit celebrates our dedicated, resourceful and hard-working neighbors who have decided to dig in and address fresh food access right where they live, right now.
Gardeners, educators, volunteers and leaders: the individuals and organizations pictured here are representative of the multitude of people working in large and small ways across our region to ensure that everyone can enjoy fresh, affordable (and tasty!) food.
For additional food access resources, check out Pittsburgh Food System Resources page.
This exhibit is made possible by The Pittsburgh Foundation.
Changemakers Featured in the Edible Garden
Ayanna Jones
CEO of Sankofa Village Community Farms, has been dedicated to empowering young people in Homewood South through black urban agriculture for over a decade. Her holistic curriculum teaches teenagers the fundamentals of urban farming while emphasizing the importance of personal growth, community engagement, and leadership. Beyond the farm, she takes students to conferences, visits universities, and helps them understand the history of black farming.
Emily Kramer
Emily Kramer is the Food Security and Farm Coordinator at the Sisters of St. Joseph, where she oversees the orchard, brambles, chickens, and gardens to provide fresh produce for local food distribution sites. Since 2020, she’s coordinated the donation of over 5,000 pounds of produce to partner organizations. As part of this work, Emily also teaches local community gardeners who donate their harvests to support the mission of food security. Emily extends her dedication to food access by collaborating with the Aliquippa Food Council to address food insecurity in the local community.
Logan Laizure
Logan Laizure is a dedicated volunteer for many community gardens and local nonprofits including Grow Pittsburgh, Steel City Mutual Aid, GreenTech Rising, East End Community Ministries, and Food Not Bombs while also working as a Partner Success Manager at 412 Food Rescue, which helps redistribute extra food to people in need. In that role, he ensures efficient food distribution across our region and helps other organizations across the country use 412 Food Rescue’s innovative technology to reduce hunger in their own communities.
Denele Hughson
Denele Hughson joined Grow Pittsburgh in 2015, holding multiple positions before ascending to the Executive Director position in 2021 where she has led the organization’s expansion to support over 100 community gardens and 70-plus school gardens, while operating key agricultural sites, including: Braddock Farms, Shiloh Farm, Garden Dreams Urban Farm & Nursery, and the greenhouse at The Frick. This work supports Denele’s passion for empowering people through education and community building.
Lisa Freeman
Lisa Freeman is an inspiring community leader committed to ensuring her neighbors have access to healthy food, regardless of income. For the past 10 years, Lisa has worked to transform a vacant building into Freeman Family Farm and Greenhouse and the Freeman Family Farm Store. Lisa lives life by the saying “food is medicine”. This vision has developed into a vibrant hub for growing and distributing fresh, nutritious food where she creates “prescription CSAs” to help treat and manage medical issues with healthy, accessible foods. Her farm store is ‘donation only’ to ensure that everyone has access regardless of income.
South Hills Interfaith Movement (SHIM)
Through South Hills Interfaith Movement's (SHIM) Community Garden program, congregations, community groups, and volunteers grow fresh fruits and vegetables for SHIM’s three food pantries, which serve 4,000 people each month. Led by Becky Henninger, a Phipps Master Gardener, the program blends expert guidance with community engagement to ensure a successful growing season. In addition to common vegetables, the gardens grow culturally significant produce important to immigrant and refugee families. With support from volunteers and local congregations, SHIM’s 14 gardens produce over 15,000 pounds of food annually. They also provide hands-on education for children and adults, fostering learning, healthy habits, and community.
More Changemakers to Celebrate
Click the link below to view all of our nominees and the important work they're doing to improve food access to their local communities.
Photos © Kitoko Chargois
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