Fraternal Adventures

Jennifer Stockdale • July 15, 2022

April 26-27: American Fraternal Alliance Spring Symposium

This year, fraternal organizations from all over the U.S. and Canada were able to get together once more for the American Fraternal Alliance Spring Symposium, which was held in Indianapolis, IN. It was great to be able to talk with leaders of other fraternal organizations to share ideas, challenges and successes. The spirit of fraternalism was truly alive during the two days of seminars, round-table discussions and social breaks. Because I started working at GBU just before the pandemic started, this is the first Spring Symposium I have been able to attend, but I am looking forward to returning next year.

April 29: Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for The Market

I was honored to be able to attend the Ribbon Cutting for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank’s newest project, The Market, which will further help provide for a growing population of food-insecure families in the Pittsburgh region.

The Market, which is a partnership with Pittsburgh-region grocer Giant Eagle, is the Food Bank's on-site pantry which takes a holistic approach to serving people who need help with food while also operating as a learning lab to test new ideas and services before presenting them to the food-assistance network. The Market will be open weekly Monday through Saturday and offers a grocery-style experience for those needing to supplement their food needs to choose the groceries that work best for their families.

GBU Life, a partner with the Food Bank since need from the community spiked during the pandemic, is a proud sponsor of the Education Station. Located inside The Market, the Education Station is a space for the community to engage in classes on health and wellness, finances, customer service and more.

The Market also features a children's area, private registration room, Community Connections resource team and a Nutrition Kitchen which will offer cooking-related classes to both community members and member agencies.

GBU CMO Lesley Mann and I in the Education Station at The Market.

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