Finding solutions to the conundrum of why people go hungry in a nation of such abundance has been at the heart of Joni Rabinowitz’s crusade for the past 15 years. As co-director of Just Harvest, a nonprofit group she helped found in 1987, the 61-year-old woman and her staff work to find ways to eliminate hunger by trying to improve the plight of the poor. Rabinowitz and her husband, John Haer, live in Park Place. “I see hunger as one of the results of poverty, so perhaps the bigger question we need to ask ourselves is, in a country with such an abundance of money, why are there poor people?” said Rabinowitz, a native of New York who moved here in 1969. South Side-based Just Harvest focuses on core issues that lead to hunger. The group lobbies for higher wages, improved access and affordability of health care and housing, and increased participation in government programs for the needy. The organization, led by Rabinowitz and co-director Ken Regal, has had a hand in shaping initiatives such as free and reduced school breakfasts and lunches, summer food programs and the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program. “We know that hunger is based in poverty, and one of the main reasons we have that situation is many working people don’t have enough money to feed their families,” Rabinowitz said. “If people had higher wages and had to pay less for health care and housing, we would have few people going to the food bank.” Twenty million adults and 13 million children in the United States are classified as “food insecure,” which means they do not have enough food to meet basic needs because of a lack of financial resources, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Rabinowitz said the line dividing the poor from the rest of society has been blurred in recent years. More families with both parents working are being forced to seek welfare and food stamps to make ends meet. “We’re seeing more people who are a paycheck away from poverty, and we have lots of people who were on welfare, then entered the workforce and couldn’t make it,” Rabinowitz said. Joyce Rothermel, executive director of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, believes strongly in Just Harvest’s mission and Rabinowitz’s dedication to the cause. “Having a person like her working in our region is like having an army of folks hired to do the job,” Rothermel said. “She has such great passion and is a wonderful advocate for those who need help.” Organizations that support Just Harvest, such as the Allegheny County Bar Foundation, say the organization serves a critical role in helping the needy. “While it’s important for us to help the food bank put food on the table for needy people, it’s just as important to address the root causes for hunger,” said Gary Pollock, the foundation’s director of administration and development. The Bar’s most recent campaign, which ran from Thanksgiving through the end of January, netted $52,000 in donations from area lawyers and law firms that will be divided among Just Harvest, the food bank and a third organization, the Hunger Services Network. Despite what she sees as a hardening of attitudes toward the poor, Rabinowitz remains optimistic about her efforts to eradicate hunger. “I grew up in a family of activists,” she said. “I can’t imagine doing anything else.” How to help What: “Empty Bowl Dinner” to benefit Just Harvest and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. When: Sunday, March 9, 3 to 7 p.m. Where: Rodef Shalom Congregation, 4905 Fifth Ave., Oakland. Cost: $15 in advance, $18 at the door. Each donor will receive a handmade pottery bowl. A simple meal of soup and bread will be served. There also will be entertainment and a variety of activities for children. Details: To buy tickets, make checks payable to Just Harvest, 16 Terminal Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Tickets also can be bought with a credit card by calling (412) 431-8960.

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