Human Needs

Human Needs organizations in Washington County address critical issues such as affordable housing, mental health and addiction support, aging services, social and criminal justice, disability support, and food insecurity.

Impact

• The 2022 Governor's Food Security Partnership Report showed that between March 29, 2020 and April 30, 2022, member food banks of Feeding Pennsylvania and Hunger-Free Pennsylvania, which collectively serve all 67 counties in the commonwealth, reported having served 62,336,297 total individuals. This amounted to 504,565,366 total pounds of food served.
  
• Southwestern Pennsylvania Human Services (SPHS) provides health and human services to 5 counties in Southwestern PA: Washington, Greene, Butler, Fayette, and Westmoreland. They serve over 60,000 people annually throughout the 60 service locations and have provided over 1,000 jobs in the region.
  
• In the 2022-23 fiscal year, the Washington City Mission provided 131,252 meals, 46,455 bed nights, 9,547 bags of food for the community, and 14,997 medical clinic services. They also provided 129 jobs through their career training and education center. - Washington City Mission 2023 Annual Report

Strengths

• Food Banks
• Variety of Services
• Abuse Victim Assistance
• Community Support

Challenges

Substance abuse among all ages is an ongoing national crisis. The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported that in 2021, there were 5,356 unintentional drug overdose deaths. On average, 15 Pennsylvanians died every day from a drug overdose in 2021. Among minors, an average of 49.2% of 10^th and 12^th graders reported to have had used alcohol in their lifetime and an average of 22.85% had used an e-cigarette or a vape within the last 30 days.

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services reported that there were a total of 39,093 reports of suspected child abuse in 2022, an increase of nearly 1,000 from 2021. During the pandemic, the Office of Children, Youth and Families observed a significant decrease in the total suspected reports, purportedly due to less interaction between children and mandated reporters.

Focus group members expressed the desire to see land identified, prepared and secured to increase affordable and accessible housing in the county. Discussion of long waiting lists through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was presented as a major challenge for low-income families. It was noted that when HUD housing openings become available, there is no guarantee it will be in an individual’s current community or a safe location.

Washington County’s high senior population of 22.1% (based on annual Census Bureau data) creates a unique set of challenges and needs. Focus group members considered the lack of home health care as one of these challenges, particularly in the Charleroi area. There is also a rising need for mobility services, especially after the pandemic. There is a lack of social gatherings and community involvement for the elderly, which are crucial to their mental and physical health.

Gaps in hours of services offered by local transportation companies have provided challenges for community members relying on them. While there are shared ride transit services available, participants in our focus group found them to be difficult to manage and not well known. Focus group members also noted the lack of payphones countywide which places an additional strain on those individuals in the community without cell phones or landlines.