The Gismondi Foundation has committed $1 million to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank to establish The Gismondi Food Bank Academy.
The academy will serve as an educational hub, equipping Food Bank partners with essential tools and resources to enhance their ability to serve neighbors in need.
The Gismondi Food Bank Academy aims to strengthen the Food Bank’s local charitable food network, which is critical as demand for food assistance has reached an all-time high. Currently, 75% of the food from the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank is distributed through its 1,000 partners, who provide assistance across 11 counties in southwestern Pennsylvania.
John Gismondi, founder of The Gismondi Foundation and a Pittsburgh attorney, emphasized the foundation’s focus on basic necessities.
“Our Foundation has always been focused on supporting programs that address the basic necessities of those in need, i.e., food, shelter, clothing health care and education,” Gismondi said. “I can’t think of anything that is a more basic need than to provide food security for our residents in southwestern Pennsylvania.”
The partnership between The Gismondi Foundation and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank includes three years of acceleration funding for the launch of The Gismondi Food Bank Academy. This funding will support a reimagined learning model, an expanded curriculum and an annual partner conference.
Additionally, the funds will provide ongoing annual support for the Food Bank’s partner learning and capacity building efforts through The Gismondi Food Bank Academy Fund.
Charlese McKinney, chief program officer of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, expressed enthusiasm for the new initiative.
“We are thrilled to see The Gismondi Food Bank Academy come to life,” McKinney said. “Investing in partner learning and capacity building strengthens today’s response and creates stronger pathways for neighbors to access essential resources, build stability and pursue new opportunities.”
Gismondi highlighted the academy’s practical benefits for local food providers.
“We are excited to launch The Gismondi Food Bank Academy because we are now able to supply local food pantries and partners with a comprehensive bundle of educational courses and materials directly related to what they do on a daily basis,” Gismondi said. He added, “This will enable them to improve the quality and efficiency of the service they provide to their patrons which, in the end, is what everyone wants to achieve.”
The Gismondi Foundation was founded by John P. Gismondi and his wife, Lisa. It provides grants to non-profit organizations in the Pittsburgh region that focus on addressing basic life necessities, including food, housing, education, medical care and family support.
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