FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Philabundance to Triple Number of Free Summer Meals for Children
New partnerships and funding from GIANT Food Stores will allow Philabundance to distribute 57,000 kids’ meals

Philadelphia, PA – June 25, 2019 – Philabundance today announced that it will nearly triple the number of free summer meals it is offering for children this year, providing about 57,000 meals to kids who lose their school breakfast and lunch when school is out for the summer. Thanks to new partnerships and generous funding from valued corporate partner GIANT Food Stores, Philabundance will now better help fill the summer meal gap through its LunchBox program, an important addition to its year-round efforts providing food for those in need – and their children.

“For hundreds of thousands of kids across the Delaware Valley, summer vacation is not just a break from school, but also from the reliability of school meals,” explained Philabundance Executive Director Glenn Bergman. “Kids should go to bed tired out from summer fun, not hungry.”

Approximately 400,000 children in Philabundance’s nine-county service area receive school meals, and now face uncertainty about whether they will have enough to eat this summer. To help fill that gap, the LunchBox program will provide 57,000 meals to children 18 years and younger through the end of August, thanks to the generosity of GIANT Food Stores, which made the largest one-time corporate donation to Philabundance in its history. Each week, free and nutritious meals with items like wraps, fruits, veggies and milk will be available at Philabundance partner agencies; some meals will be fresh, while others are shelf-stable, with items like barbecue chicken, fruit cups, hummus dip, and more. LunchBox locations are prepared by students at the Philabundance Community Kitchen (PCK), a culinary job training program for adults with low-to-no income, and distribution locations are available on Philabundance’s website.

“Food insecurity is a problem in every community, and it’s something we take very seriously at GIANT – more so when it effects our children,” said John Ruane, Senior Vice President of Merchandising at GIANT Food Stores and Philabundance Board Member. “In this fourth year of supporting the LunchBox Program, we couldn’t be more appreciative of our long-standing partnership with Philabundance and value each other’s mission to end hunger in the region. By working together on this and several other initiatives, we are helping make a difference where it matters most.”

Philabundance serves 90,000 people each week, 30 percent of whom are children. Philabundance cannot achieve its mission of driving hunger from our communities today and ending hunger for good without the support of organizations, corporations and the general public. Philabundance is excited to partner for the first time with The Police Athletic League of Philadelphia, the Narberth Community Food Pantry and Greene Street Friends School.

Although Philabundance is excited to have almost tripled the number of meals the LunchBox program will provide in 2019, it is just one of many hunger-fighting organizations that offer summer meals for children. The Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger’s Summer Meals Map can help youth locate free summer meal sites in their neighborhoods.

For those who want to help beat summer hunger:

• Purchase Philabundance’s Abundantly Good products, proceeds of which benefit those facing hunger and Lancaster dairy farmers, and rescue food from going to waste. The Common Market, DiBruno Brothers, Riverwards Produce and Third Wheel Cheese Company sell Abundantly Good. Learn more: https://www.philabundance.org/upcycle/

• Ordering from PCKatering, PCK’s social enterprise, allows customers to eat great food, proceeds of which go back into feeding the community. Cater a family picnic, graduation party or meeting and help feed those in need.

• Donate to Philabundance’s fight against hunger. Each dollar donated helps Philabundance provide two meals for a neighbor in need. Donate now or learn more.

For more information, please visit www.philabundance.org/summer-hunger or contact Lisa Ryan, public relations associate at Philabundance, at 724-259-3524 x1155 or lryan@philabundance.org.

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About Philabundance
Philabundance is the Delaware Valley’s largest hunger relief organization. For 35 years, it has focused on providing emergency food to those in need. In 2018, it relieved hunger by distributing more than 26 million pounds of food through a network of 350 member agencies. In 2019, it began partnerships with critical services providers, offering food coupled with other services to end hunger for good. Philabundance serves more than 90,000 people each week, 30 percent of whom are children, 16 percent of whom are seniors, and other clients include college students, single parents and the working class. Give now or learn more at Philabundance.org.

About GIANT Food Stores
Founded in 1923 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, GIANT Food Stores, is passionate about building strong families and healthy communities. With a customer-centric approach in all it does, GIANT serves millions of families across Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia through its nearly 180 neighborhood stores, 132 pharmacies, 101 fuel stations and its online grocery ordering and delivery services. GIANT Food Stores is proud to employ more than 30,000 associates who believe in giving back to their community and over the last five years, GIANT, with the help of its customers and vendor partners, has proudly donated more than $100 million to local nonprofits. The GIANT Family of Brands includes GIANT, MARTIN’S Food Markets, GIANT Heirloom Market, and GIANT DIRECT, Powered by Peapod. GIANT Food Stores is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA. For more information visit the GIANT or MARTIN’S websites.