Norfolk Southern helps Pittsburgh students start the school year prepared

Aug 13, 2026

Norfolk Southern providing free school supplies at Pittsburgh Food Bank's Open Market

As families across the Pittsburgh region gear up for a new school year, Norfolk Southern is helping students start class with the supplies they need.

On Aug. 12, Norfolk Southern’s Community Impact team partnered with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank during the Food Bank’s Open Market hours to provide free school supplies to local families. Students received age-appropriate supplies for elementary, middle and high school, including NS-branded backpacks and classroom essentials such as binders, notebooks, folders, pencils, crayons, glue sticks and highlighters.

The event also included a Kona Ice truck sponsored by Norfolk Southern, giving attendees a cool treat while families picked up supplies.

Child carrying Norfolk Southern backpack

Meeting students and families where they are

The back-to-school event builds on Norfolk Southern’s ongoing work with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank to support families across southwestern Pennsylvania.

The food bank serves an 11-county region where 1 in 8 people, or more than 292,000 residents, are food insecure. Through its network of more than 1,000 partners, SNAP outreach, drive-up distributions, walk-up distributions, and The Market pantry model, the food bank helps connect families with food and other resources.

"Back-to-school season should be exciting, not stressful. We're grateful to partner with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank to help students and families start the school year with confidence and the tools they need to succeed." - Kristin Wong, Director NS Foundation and Community Impact

Continuing support in Pittsburgh

Norfolk Southern has supported the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank for more than a decade through grants, donations and volunteerism. A 2025 Thriving Communities grant helped deliver more than 30,000 meals to families, seniors and individuals facing hunger across the region.

Norfolk Southern has also provided $100,000 to the Food Bank since 2022, helping support food access and stability across 11 counties in southwestern Pennsylvania.

The back-to-school supply drive is another way NS is working with local partners to strengthen communities where the company operates.

“Strong communities start with strong partners. Whether we’re supporting food access, school readiness or volunteer opportunities, our goal is to show up in ways that are practical, local, and meaningful for the people we serve.” - Kristin Wong, Director of NS Foundation and Community Impact

Kasandra Jenkins assists with external communications for Norfolk Southern as a Communications Manager, focusing on community impact, awards, and media relations. Kasandra joined NS in 2025, with more than 10 years of media relations, and corporate/crisis communications experience.