Read the full article on KETV 7
TODAY WE HAVE AN UPDATE TO A STORY WE BROUGHT YOU BACK IN NOVEMBER. A LOCAL MAN TOUCHING THE HEARTS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHEN HE TURNED HIS FRONT YARD INTO A FOOD PANTRY TO HELP PEOPLE WHO TEMPORARILY LOST THEIR SNAP BENEFITS. ONLY ON FOUR TONIGHT, PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR REPORTER JORDAN CIOPPA TELLS US HOW THAT WAS JUST THE BEGINNING FOR THIS MAN. AJ OWENS FRONT YARD FOOD PANTRY IS CLOSED NOW, BUT HIS MISSION TO HELP THE COMMUNITY ISN’T SLOWING DOWN. FOOD IS PILING UP HERE IN HIS LIVING ROOM AS HE EMBARKS ON A NEW JOURNEY TO FEED LOCAL CHILDREN THIS SUMMER. NONSTOP DELIVERIES AND PILES OF PACKAGES ARE PART OF AJ OWENS NEW NORMAL. MY HOUSE IS COMPLETELY FULL. I MIGHT SLEEP ON THESE BOXES PRETTY SOON. OWEN AND HIS TWO SONS STARTED COLLECTING FOOD DONATIONS AT THEIR WHITEHALL HOME IN LATE 2025, WHEN SNAP BENEFITS WERE PUT█ON PAUSE. HIS FRONT YARD FOOD PANTRY RACKED UP MILLIONS OF LIKES AND VIEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, SPREADING HIS STORY TO PLACES FAR BEYOND PITTSBURGH. I’M SO, SO BLESSED TO SAY THAT WE GAVE AWAY MORE THAN $100,000 OF FOOD AND OTHER RESOURCES TO NOT ONLY PITTSBURGHERS, BUT WEST VIRGINIANS AND OHIOANS AND JUST THOSE WHO NEEDED IT. WE WERE HERE FOR THEM. THE FOOD PANTRY CLOSED A FEW WEEKS AGO, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN OWEN IS DONE HELPING OUT HIS NEIGHBORS. AND SO ONCE THAT WAS DONE WITH MY MY BIG TIKTOK FOLLOWING THAT, I DO HAVE, I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHAT’S NEXT? AND I FIGURED, LET’S FEED KIDS THIS SUMMER. THERE’S SO MANY GREAT PROGRAMS IN PLACE THAT WE’RE SO THANKFUL FOR, BUT WHAT’S A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA FOOD TO HELP THESE KIDS? AND SO THAT’S WHAT WE’RE DOING. OWEN RECENTLY LAUNCHED A WEBSITE CALLED PG MEALS.COM, WHERE ALLEGHENY COUNTY FAMILIES CAN SIGN UP THEIR CHILDREN FOR A SUMMER MEAL PROGRAM. THE GOAL IS TO SUPPLY THE KIDS WITH TWO SMALL MEALS, TWO SNACKS, AND ONE DRINK EVERY DAY FOR EIGHT WEEKS. SO FAR, MORE THAN 1300 KIDS ARE SIGNED UP. JUST LIKE THE FOOD PANTRY. WE DIDN’T PUT A CAP ON ANYTHING. WE DIDN’T ASK QUESTIONS. IF THERE’S A CHILD WHO NEEDS FOOD THIS SUMMER, WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET FED. DONATIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS AND BIG BRANDS HAVE ALREADY STARTED POURING IN, BUT OWENS SAYS IT’S GOING TO TAKE EVEN MORE HELP TO COLLECT ENOUGH FOOD. WE NEED A LOT MORE LOCAL COMPANIES THAT WANT TO HELP PUT UP A FLIER, EVEN. BUT IF YOU WANT TO DONATE, IF YOU WANT A PARTNER, IF YOU WANT TO FUNDRAISE, DO A FOOD DRIVE. WE ARE SO, SO OPEN TO ANYTHING. WE WILL HAVE A LINK TO THE WEBSITE ON WTAE.
Advertisement
Dad behind viral food pantry starting summer meal program for kids
Non-stop deliveries and piles of packages are a part of AJ Owen’s new normal. “My house is completely full. I might sleep on these boxes pretty soon,” said AJ Owen with a smile. Owen and his two sons started collecting food donations at their suburban Pittsburgh home in late 2025 when SNAP benefits were put on pause. His front yard food pantry racked up millions of likes and views on social media, spreading his story across the world.“I’m so, so blessed to say that we gave away more than $100,000 of food and other resources to not only Pittsburghers but West Virginians, Ohioans, and those who needed it. We were here for them,” Owen told sister station WTAE.The front yard food pantry closed a few weeks ago after staying open all winter. However, that doesn’t mean Owen is done helping out his neighbors. “Once that was done, with my big TikTok following that I do have, I was like, you know, kind of, ‘what’s next?’ And I figured, let’s feed kids this summer,” Owen said. “There’s so many great programs in place that we’re so thankful for, but what’s a little bit of extra food to help these kids, and so that’s what we’re doing.”Owen recently launched a website called PGHMeals.com, where local families can sign their children up for a summer meal program. The goal is to supply the kids with two small meals, two snacks, and one drink every day for eight weeks. So far, more than 1,300 kids have signed up. “Just like the food pantry, we didn’t put a cap on anything; we didn’t ask questions. If there’s a child who needs food this summer, we will make sure that they get fed,” said Owen. Donations from individuals and big brands have already started pouring in, but according to Owen, it’s going to take even more help to collect enough food. He is calling on local businesses to step up. “We need a lot more local companies that want to help, put up a flier even. But if you want to donate, if you want to partner, if you want to fundraise, do a food drive, we are so, so open to anything,” Owen said.
Non-stop deliveries and piles of packages are a part of AJ Owen’s new normal.
“My house is completely full. I might sleep on these boxes pretty soon,” said AJ Owen with a smile.
Advertisement
Owen and his two sons started collecting food donations at their suburban Pittsburgh home in late 2025 when SNAP benefits were put on pause.
His front yard food pantry racked up millions of likes and views on social media, spreading his story across the world.
“I’m so, so blessed to say that we gave away more than $100,000 of food and other resources to not only Pittsburghers but West Virginians, Ohioans, and those who needed it. We were here for them,” Owen told sister station WTAE.
The front yard food pantry closed a few weeks ago after staying open all winter. However, that doesn’t mean Owen is done helping out his neighbors.
“Once that was done, with my big TikTok following that I do have, I was like, you know, kind of, ‘what’s next?’ And I figured, let’s feed kids this summer,” Owen said. “There’s so many great programs in place that we’re so thankful for, but what’s a little bit of extra food to help these kids, and so that’s what we’re doing.”
Owen recently launched a website called PGHMeals.com, where local families can sign their children up for a summer meal program.
The goal is to supply the kids with two small meals, two snacks, and one drink every day for eight weeks. So far, more than 1,300 kids have signed up.
“Just like the food pantry, we didn’t put a cap on anything; we didn’t ask questions. If there’s a child who needs food this summer, we will make sure that they get fed,” said Owen.
Donations from individuals and big brands have already started pouring in, but according to Owen, it’s going to take even more help to collect enough food.
He is calling on local businesses to step up.
“We need a lot more local companies that want to help, put up a flier even. But if you want to donate, if you want to partner, if you want to fundraise, do a food drive, we are so, so open to anything,” Owen said.
