How one Butler church serves 300 plus people via a monthly food distribution
On a rainy Saturday morning, volunteers outside the Orchard Hill Church keep busy loading bags of food into vehicles for families that come by for a monthly food distribution.
While Jim Thompson guided traffic under an umbrella during the most recent distribution on July 26, others, like fellow volunteers Nathan Smith and Caroline Anderson Santamaria, dodged the raindrops to carry bags filled to the brim and to pray with drivers, respectively.
The Orchard Hill Food Distribution, run by the Orchard Hill Church with food supplied by the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, passes out around 300 boxes of food each month, complete with all of the essential items, including both fresh produce and dry goods. In July, that included serving 127 family units and more than 300 people, according to Butler Campus pastor Brady Randall.
“We’ll serve until we run out,” he said. “People are more than welcome to come. No one is turned away unless we run out of food.”
As temperatures and prices have continued to surge throughout the summer, so has the number of clients that require assistance on a monthly basis.
“I think kids being out of school does have a lot to do with that,” the pastor said. “When we had some really bad weather in the winter, we noticed that our numbers were down; but this summer, we’ve been up a little bit beyond where we were this past winter and spring.”
For Randall and his team, however, it’s not just about the food. Additionally, he hopes to deliver the kind of joy that inspires those that are struggling.
“We want to feed people not just physically but also spiritually,” he said. “We want to meet people where they are. For those who don’t yet have a church or spiritual community, we at Orchard Hill want to be able to provide that as well.”
The distributions began about three and a half years ago after another area pastor approached Randall pointing out a possible need.
Upon starting the distribution, Randall said, it’s a need he’s seen firsthand.
“We tell people to just show up,” he said.
The distributions are held from 9 to 11 a.m. on the last Saturday of the month at the church’s parking lot, 120 Walker Ave., Butler.
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Jim Thompson collects numbers for food distribution during the Orchard Hill Church's food distribution event on Saturday, July 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Jim Thompson collects numbers for food distribution during the Orchard Hill Church's food distribution event on Saturday, July 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Nathan Smith gathers bags of food for an attendee during Orchard Hill Church's food distribution event on Saturday, July 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Volunteers load bags of food into a van during Orchard Hill Church's food distribution event on Saturday, July 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Volunteers load bags of food into a van during Orchard Hill Church's food distribution event on Saturday, July 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Pete Shuber helps gather bags of food during Orchard Hill Church's food distribution event on Saturday, July 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Nathan Smith loads bags of food into a van during Orchard Hill Church's food distribution event on Saturday, July 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Dylan Gibbons loads bags of food into a van during Orchard Hill Church's food distribution event on Saturday, July 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Pastor Brady Randall prays with an attendee during Orchard Hill Church's food distribution event on Saturday, July 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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An abundance of grapes was available during Orchard Hill Church's food distribution event on Saturday, July 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Caroline Anderson Santamaria prays with an attendee during Orchard Hill Church's food distribution event on Saturday, July 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Jim Thompson guides traffic in the rain during the Orchard Hill Church's food distribution event on Saturday, July 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Megan Adkins along with her dog Lady Glittersparkle receives food from Dylan Gibbons during Orchard Hill Church's food distribution event on Saturday, July 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Nathan Smith loads bags of food for an attendee during Orchard Hill Church's food distribution event on Saturday, July 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Dean Santamaria plays with a lifesaver in the rain before helping to load groceries for an attendee during Orchard Hill Church's food distribution event on Saturday, July 26, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
