Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank to bring additional resources to March distributions in county
The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank will bring additional food resources to its Butler County distributions March 19 and 24 in response to EBT skimming incidents in Butler earlier in the month.
“The skimming of EBT cards can put vulnerable families in a tougher position to get the food they need to thrive,” Christa Johnson, a communications specialist for the food bank, said Tuesday, March 17.
The March 19 food distribution will be from 5 to 7 p.m. at Church of God of Prophecy at 121 McKees Road in Parker, and the March 24 distribution will be from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Butler City Farmers’ Market at 205 S. Chestnut St.
“We continue to advocate for chips on EBT to ensure our neighbors have access (to) food,” Johnson said.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, multiple states have begun adding chips to their EBT cards as a more secure option than a magnetic strip.
Johnson encouraged anyone in need of assistance to visit pittsburghfoodbank.org.
Butler police Chief Bob O’Neill also advocated for using the tap feature on the cards when feasible. EBT chip cards are not yet available in Pennsylvania.
The current state budget included a mandatory feasibility study into switching to EBT chip cards. California was the first state to implement EBT chip cards. The state saw an 83% decrease in EBT theft following the change.
The food bank said there will be some barriers to implementation such as outdated point-of-sale systems, but “this is a necessary investment to protect SNAP benefits from being stolen and funneled to organized crime.”
Between October 2022 and December 2024, there were 18,976 cases of confirmed skimming in Pennsylvania. Almost $8.9 million in nutrition benefits were stolen from low-income households, according to the food bank.
Congress ended federal authority to replace stolen EBT funds on Dec. 20, 2024.
