February 18, 2009

Letter to the Editor that appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer that appeared February 18

Thanks for Caring

On behalf of Philabundance and our network of nearly 600 neighborhood shelters, food pantries, and emergency kitchens throughout the Delaware Valley, I would like to thank the community that has helped us in the fight against hunger by donating food, funds, and time during these difficult economic times.

Every day, Philabundance is heartened by the overwhelming generosity of our Delaware Valley neighbors. Thousands of individuals have answered our call for help despite their own personal hardships and the barrage of negative headlines announcing layoffs, drastic budget cuts, and escalating need. Over the past few months, we have seen unprecedented numbers of caring citizens who have dropped food donations at our door to help their neighbors who are struggling to feed their families.

We are also grateful to the many organizations that have pitched in with food and financial donations. Among them, we cannot forget the numerous media outlets in our region that have helped us raise awareness of the growing hunger and malnutrition in our midst. A very special thank you goes to WMMR-FM (93.3) and its "Camp Out for Hunger" food drive, which this year raised our food supply by more than 445,000 pounds.

Bill Clark
President and executive director
Philabundance
Villanova