East End Cooperative Ministry, Pittsburgh

East End Cooperative Ministry (EECM) was founded in 1970 by a team of local seminary students to distribute breakfast to children who were going to school without meals. Today, the organization combines the goodwill of more than 40 congregations, local businesses, and volunteers to run a trio of programs dedicated to alleviating hunger, providing housing, and serving youth in the community. Its Meals on Wheels program, emergency food pantry, and soup kitchen distribute warm lunches and fresh groceries to an average of 400 people every day. Individuals experiencing homelessness can rest in the onsite shelter, which houses more than 40 men every night and provides access to social services. EECM further seeks to end the cycle of poverty with a series of in-school and afterschool programs that engage youth on vital issues including drug-use prevention and sustainability.