WESTMORELAND COUNTY FOOD BANK UNVEILS NEW & IMPROVED WEBSITE

Helping to Feed People and Nourish Lives Became a Little Easier

The Westmoreland County Food Bank is proud to announce the unveiling of the new and improved food bank website.  Design Revolution Studios (DRS), of Reading, Pennsylvania, a full-service strategic marketing firm and creative agency, launched the new website developed for the Westmoreland County Food Bank (WCFB), a private, not-for-profit organization supplying food to people in need throughout Westmoreland County.

For over three decades, the Westmoreland County Food Bank has been a beacon of hope for area residents unable to secure the most basic resource – food. Founded in March 1982, the Food Bank distributed 2,000 pounds of food through five pantries in its first year of operation. Today, the agency supplies over eight million pounds of food to over 16,500 residents throughout Westmoreland County via 44 pantries. Additionally, the Food Bank supports on-site feeding programs at three shelters and 13 similar programs within the County. With a staff of 24 individuals, WCFB operates in a 40,000 square foot facility located at 100 Devonshire Drive in Delmont. The Food Bank relies heavily on the more than 7,000 volunteers that contribute approximately 102,000 total hours of service each year.

Support for food banks nationwide from industry and government programs has declined throughout the years, leading to an increased dependence on localized fundraising. Almost 60% of WCFB’s current budget relies on internal fundraising efforts, compared to 10% just a few years ago. DRS set out to design a website that would assist in fundraising efforts and other cost saving strategies—a site that is visually engaging, user-friendly, and easy for staff members to maintain.

Deana Pastor, WCFB’s Director of Technology Services is most excited about the website’s intuitive editing capabilities: “It’s easy to use and now it’s a critical resource for us. We can add sections, new pages, and update information quickly. That gives us more time to spend with people who need our help.”

The site features dynamic photography, hunger education resources, integrated social media, and clear navigation. Tools like Facebook and Twitter give nonprofit organizations like WCFB direct access to donors, volunteers, and families who need assistance. The new site is responsive, allowing seamless access from mobile devices, which increases engagement and reach.

DRS trained WCFB staff on how to make website changes on their own, which will reduce ongoing maintenance costs and allow for future site expansion. Keeping the website current and dynamic is an important part of the user experience—how potential donors interact with the site and its contents once they are online.

Design Revolution developed an enriching website that better positions WCFB for fundraising, marketing, and managing information. Janelle Paisley, Creative Director and Managing Partner at DRS, feels strongly about the food bank’s mission. “Adequate food is a basic human right. Working with organizations like WCFB not only helps fill the plates of the hungry, but also fills our hearts as an agency. Technology-based action plans like this are critical for nonprofits.”

Kris Douglas, WCFB’s CEO, views the new site as part of the organization’s long-term strategy. “We can connect people with food. We can better connect donors and volunteers with information. Essentially, this is a shining example of how partnering with the right firm and focusing on technology can ensure that fewer people in our community go hungry,” said Douglas.  “The new website is a leap forward with a fresh look that will help us in achieving our Mission to enable all Westmoreland County residents who are hungry or at risk of hunger to have ready access to food.  It will help our consumers find a pantry site closer to them, assist friends in locating volunteer opportunities, and it will make it easier for our generous community to donate.”

 

About Westmoreland County Food Bank

The Westmoreland County Food Bank serves nearly 45,000 area residents each year including 13,500 children and 4,950 seniors. WCFB currently has 66 member agencies in their network of emergency feeding sites.  Of those, 44 are food pantries in which low income consumers are able to access emergency food assistance throughout the month. Last year (2014), the Food Bank distributed over 8.6 million pounds of food.

50% of WCFB’s food comes from the federal and state governments and the remaining 50% from local donations, food drives, and Feeding America.  Administrative and fundraising costs account for 4% of the Food Bank’s operating budget. 

About Design Revolution Studio, LLC

Design Revolution Studios, LLC is Reading’s leading women-owned, full-service strategic marketing firm and creative agency centrally located between New York City and Philadelphia. Design Revolution’s success is derived from their innovative and unconventional views on modern marketing—the perfect blend of science, marketing, graphic design, technology, and economics. Both qualitative and quantitative, their strategies reduce risk and maximize the performance of campaigns to achieve bottom-line results in both international and domestic markets. Design Revolution’s uniquely talented team manages multi-media campaigns and engages audiences via marketing strategy, brand management, graphic and interactive design, PR, social media, and HD/4K video production. Ready to explore the tremendous opportunities that exist for organizations using technology to deliver their missions in an effective and scalable way? Please contact their office to schedule an initial consultation or to request further information.