About Us
As a hospital social worker, I spend my days helping people figure out how to meet their basic needs as they recover from unexpected medical emergencies. In December of 2021, I met a gentleman who had fallen on an icy sidewalk and broken his arm. He would need to keep this arm in a sling for several months and had no support to easily call on. I sought out local agencies, but many community services and resources have limitations, qualifying criteria, or potential waitlists for approval. I was frustrated that our community couldn’t help with something as basic as delivering a warm meal while he learned to navigate life with the use of his left arm but realized that it was silly to wait for someone else to create a better option, I can help right now.
I love to cook and always have too much for myself and my husband, so I started in my own neighborhood and soon found myself delivering meals to appreciative seniors a few times a month. I recruited kind-hearted coworkers, and we quickly grew into a coordinated team of volunteers who bring meals to individuals and families. Now, we have over 180 volunteer chefs across four counties, and we continue to find new ways to address food insecurity locally. The mission is simple, the reach far, and the rewards immeasurable.
We have enough to share, so we do.
Kristy
Kristy Teisher, MSW, LCSW, ACM-SW
Founder/Director
Our Values
DIGNITY
We respect the inherent value and worth of every individual
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BENEVOLENCE
We act in good faith and lead with kindness
COLLABORATION
We recognize that success comes from working together
At Eat Share, we welcome individuals and families of diverse race, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, abilities, marital status, military status, across all socioeconomic backgrounds to join our mission in all of our activities and operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, volunteering, meal requests, donations, board membership, and service partnership.
Our Philosophical Intentions
Change the current stigma/definitions/requirements to seek out and access community supports & resources when needed:
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The difference of the deserving and undeserving poor was established in the Poor Law of 1834. The deserving poor were those understood to be hard working people, who through no fault of their own found themselves in hardship. The underserving poor, on the other hand, were given this label due to an assessment of their perceived indolence. They were not trying hard enough to relieve their own hardship, which left them less deserving of help.
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The stigma of these laws, and the judgement of people seeking support, has persisted for almost two centuries—allowing both the government and private programs to put stringent and misdirected guidelines on supportive services for access to food.
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Eat Share wants to break the stigma and mistrust imbedded in current services. We want to create a welcoming and warm resource that doesn’t ask questions or make people prove they meet special requirements to receive support.
Welcome those who have more than enough to share with those who 1) don’t have enough, or 2) lack the current capacity to easily plan for their own food due to difficult circumstances:
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The reality is that 59% of Americans are one paycheck away from poverty, homelessness, and struggle. Unexpected distress and hardship can make individuals feel isolated and alone, having to bear the heavy burden of distress independently. Eat Share recognizes this reality and seeks to build community and connection in an organic, easy, and kind manner.
To address local food waste and insecurity, Eat Share seeks to create innovative ways to redistribute food to members of our community that can appreciate it:
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According to the United Nations, one third of the world’s food is wasted. In the United States, food waste is 40%--enough to feed 2 billion people. Yet, a census bureau survey found that 1 in 8 Americans struggle to secure reliable, nutritious food. 1 in 11 across Pennsylvania struggle to access enough food.
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Our Food Forward Program, which welcomes excess food donations from local restaurants, food trucks, grocery stores, distributors, businesses, etc.—as well as our Produce Donation & Distribution Program, welcomes locals to donate their food waste to us, and we redistribute these resources to the community in need.
Our Board of Directors
Cassandra Holdren
Secretary, Board of Directors
I joined Eat Share as Secretary of the Board of Directors. I live in Huntersville with my husband, Josh, to whom I have been married for 19 years. My son, Ethan, is turning 13 years old this year, and my daughter, Ella, is six. We also have a young German Shepherd named Jack. My full-time job is at Leclerc Foods as Director of Sales Support. I spend my 40-hour work week coordinating the fulfillment of orders for food at various grocery stores in our area.  
 
My world revolves around my family. I wanted to jump at the opportunity to join Eat Share because it is an amazing and easy way to help our local community. I want to set an example for my children and show them how amazing it feels to help other people.  
Martha Finsterbush
Treasurer, Board of Directors
Martha Finsterbush is the Board Treasurer for Eat Share. She brings nearly two decades of non-profit leadership and a passion for serving others. She is a lifelong learner and tries to use her knowledge to improve her community in any way she can. In her free time, she enjoys running free in nature with her two dogs or sitting on the back porch with her cats watching the world go by.
Leeann Hessler
Registered Dietitian, Board Member
I am honored to be one of the board members, as well as a volunteer chef, for this charity. I was introduced to Eat Share through its founder, Kristy, who is also a great friend of mine—what an amazing heart. Since I work for UPMC as a clinical dietitian, I am always focused on nourishing others. I love food and I think about it all the time. I enjoy gardening in the summer, which allows me to experiment with making my own homemade sauces, salsas, and pesto. I also enjoy sharing what I have with others. I feel fortunate to understand food from a nutrition perspective, and I like to educate others when possible. There is a need for this in our community, and normalizing asking for help of any kind is so important. The mission of Eat Share is to support our community with compassion and spread kindness through food sharing. Spreading joy can be simple, just one meal at a time.
Katy Kirkpatrick Hoover
Board Member
By day I am a digital content manager working remotely for a boutique salon, and by night I am an, admittedly, reclusive comfort foodie who walks often, roller skates sometimes, hoards vinyl records, takes pub trivia a little too seriously, and tries her very best to keep plants alive. I cherish several core memories of neighbors, friends, and loved ones coming together to help my family when we’ve needed it in the aftermath of loss, so being part of the Eat Share team is a wonderful opportunity to pay that kindness forward, uplift my community, and explore the culinary enjoyments I’ve inherited from a lineage of gifted home chefs. I’m proud to call Kristy family and am honored to serve on the Eat Share board of directors.
