Last year, The Foreword sat down with Amy Galloway-Barr, Allderdice High School English teacher and creator of the Allderdice pantry. Now, only a few weeks into the 2022-2023 academic calendar, much has changed, much has stayed the same, and as Galloway-Barr hopes, the best is yet to come for this budding community center. 

As you may recall, the Allderdice Food pantry provides free food, menstrual and personal hygiene products, clothes, and winter clothing necessities to students and families in need. Since its inception last December, it has only grown. The pantry now has pancake mix and honey. “Syrup is too big, and I’m hoping honey is an okay substitute for people!” Moreover, the pantry now offers cosmetic products and school supplies. Galloway-Barr is grateful to American Eagle for its generous donations. “Please shop with them [American Eagle],” she adds. “They have given us so much.” 

Over the summer, Galloway-Barr coordinated with Allderdice High School staff to send home large boxes of food and summer essentials, to help families get through the summer months. Approximately thirty five faculty members volunteered their time to hand deliver the boxes to the homes of about forty families who were patrons of the pantry during the school year. 

Moreover, Galloway-Barr says the pantry will soon offer hats, gloves, and scarves (possibly to the Amazon Wish List, if needed) as the weather changes. She adds, “I also have a lot of kids asking for water bottles, but they are pricey on Amazon—so I’m planning to buy some of those myself when I see them for cheap.”

Last year, students could request items until the last moment of the day for same-day pick up.  This year, however, due to her teaching schedule, Galloway-Barr has made the pantry an “order-only” system now. She worried that she would have to change the pantry, after finding out she was teaching a class tenth period. Thankfully, Allderdice High School Librarian Jennifer Brothers offered to help by distributing the pick-up bags from the library. The cut-off time for same-day pick up is now 12:00 PM. Students can use the QR code or Microsoft TEAMS link she sends to them to place their order. She then fills the order and it is ready for pick-up in the library during tenth period. Galloway-Barr says of the new system, “… it’s working out great so far!” 

But the success requires much work, mainly on the shoulders of Galloway-Barr. “Honestly, it is difficult,” she says of balancing full-time teaching and running the food pantry. “I really love it, but full-time teaching is something that already spills over into my time with my family–so the pantry kind of takes up time I already need.”

The end goal of making Allderdice High School a designated Pittsburgh Public Schools Community School is still in the works. “’I’ve been in contact with the wonderful man in charge of the Community Schools model here at PPS, but he says our district hasn’t been adding any schools to the program,” Galloway-Bar says. She plans to reach out to the new Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Wayne Walters about supporting this effort. She says, “I am hoping if we become a Community School, and I can run the initiatives–I’d be able to drop a class or two to make it [running the pantry in addition to teaching] more manageable.” 

“I think it’s lovely to be able to serve, and it’s lovely to be able to obtain basic necessities when you are in need,” Galloway-Barr exclaims. “Sometimes what ‘in need’ means is that you simply forgot to wear deodorant, or you need an extra notebook or something.  Other times, it looks like kids who are helping feed their families through the generosity of other families from their school. That is community. Everyone who sees my little pantry falls in love, and I’m incredibly grateful to be a small part of something hopeful happening at our school.”

Anyone who wishes to assist in this effort can donate by ordering items via the Amazon Wishlist (which ships directly to the school).