We all know the power of a delicious meal—one that comforts us, nourishes us and connects us with the people we love. Food is a fundamental part of our experience as humans. Sharing food binds us together, strengthens our communities, and reinforces our connections with each other. When it comes down
Today, as we commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr., we’re once again inspired by his unwavering commitment to service. Dr. King knew that the fight for justice and equality was connected to our collective service to those in need. Today, as we take time with our community and nation to reflect on Dr. King’s legacy, we also heed his call to action. At Philabundance,
Thank you for supporting Philabundance In 2021, those facing food insecurity throughout our region could count on Philabundance every day. We know that the tireless efforts of our supporters—the donors, volunteers, staff, and agency partners who make up our community—made that possible. Now, as we look toward the future, we’re
As we celebrate the holiday season, many of us want to spread hope and comfort to those who are struggling—but problems like hunger in our communities can often feel impossible. In times like these, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone. Together, we can make an extraordinary impact. When
Our amazing team at the Philabundance Community Kitchen joined Good Day Philadelphia to share some holiday recipes. Watch this segment, courtesy of FOX29, featuring a cooking demo and the full recipes are below for your enjoyment. Roasted Butternut Squash with Brown Butter & Sage Ingredients: 2-ea. Butternut Squash, peeled &
Anti-hunger advocates often talk about fighting hunger in their own backyards and Desireè La Marr-Murphy, a partner of Philabundance, took that call to action literally. After seeing rising hunger rates in her community due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she began operating a food pantry, Murphy’s Giving Market, in the backyard
At Philabundance, and for families across the country, the holiday season is in full swing. And for those of us fortunate enough, the holidays are full of warm feelings—the return of gatherings and celebrations and the opportunity to come together with loved ones. But, we know all too well that
The Full Plate Society represents some of Philabundance’s most generous philanthropic leaders, committed to our mission to drive hunger from our communities today and to end hunger for good. These members, who contribute $1,000 or more annually, make up just 6 percent of Philabundance’s individual donors, but account for
If you have ever volunteered at the Philabundance Hunger Relief Center in South Philadelphia, chances are you have had the pleasure of meeting Damien Douglas. And if you have met Damien, the chances are great that you will return to volunteer again. Damien is the Philabundance repack supervisor. His job
“At the end of the day, if people can’t eat, nothing else matters,” David says. In March 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, David Antzis was watching the news when it hit him. There, in front of his eyes, was a 9-year old Monmouth County, NJ girl
Dear Friends, As we’ve moved into the transition phase of COVID-19 toward a new normal, I’m reminded that change is stressful—that anxiety, fear, worry, and even excitement all play a part. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to feel during this time, just a need for us to
When Elias Bitar, Chef and owner of Norma’s Restaurant in Cherry Hill, was approached about making meals for Afghan evacuees arriving in Philadelphia, he knew he wanted to help but had to figure out how. With a 300-square-foot kitchen, he couldn’t produce hundreds, if not thousands, of meals daily and
Today is National Voter Registration Day. Food banks like Philabundance are on the frontlines to ensure no one goes hungry, but we cannot do this work alone. Strong government policies and programs are needed to alleviate hunger today and end hunger for good. Elected officials make decisions that impact hunger
Parents everywhere often face the problem of their kids not liking the food put in front of them at breakfast, lunch or dinner. It’s a tale as old as time: picky eaters. Parents try to make healthy choices and find foods that they hope their kids will eat. Both of
Over the course of four weeks in August, Philabundance partnered with over 25 locations to distribute 240,000 meals throughout the Philadelphia area. This effort was part of a national campaign called Pass the Love that was brought to Philadelphia by Partnership for a Healthier America and former First Lady Michelle Obama. Each
Philabundance receives many generous food donations to support our work to end hunger across greater Philadelphia, but when 50,000 avocados came in from Giant Food Stores and Avocados From Peru, the celebration called for, what else, guacamole. Giant team members volunteered at Philabundance to unload, store and distribute the avocados,
As Director of Food Sourcing, Kait Bowdler and her 10-person team is responsible for all of the food that comes into Philabundance to be distributed. In her five and a half years with us, she has been an integral piece of our puzzle. When COVID-19 swept the world by
Hunger has always been a passion for Luisa Contreiras, one that’s become multi-generational in her household. “There’s such abundance in this country, and yet, so many people don’t have enough to eat,” she says. “It’s easy to look the other way, and I didn’t want my daughter to grow up
Dear Friends, As we head into summer, anxiously awaiting more opportunities to gather safely together, I hope this issue of The Feed finds you well. This year, as our children adjusted to learning in new settings, many at home, we faced the unique challenge of feeding children who
As I reflect on my first year as CEO of Philabundance, I think of people. I think of the alarmingly large number of people in our region who struggled to feed their families—often for the first time—as the pandemic and accompanying economic crisis took hold. I think of the incredibly
Anti-hunger advocates often talk about fighting hunger in their own backyards. Desiree Lamar Murphy took that call to action literally. Seeing rising hunger rates in her community due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she began operating Murphy’s Giving Market in the backyard of her Upper Darby home. Desiree and her
Philabundance proudly partnered with State Senator Sharif Street to provide meals to the community during Ramadan, the holiest month of the year for Muslims and a time of spiritual reflection, self-improvement, and heightened devotion and worship. Muslims are expected to fast from sundown to sunset, and those unable to
National Volunteer Week celebrates the impact of volunteer service at Philabundance and spotlights some of our most dedicated volunteers over the last year. 1. Please tell me about your role as a volunteer with Philabundance. What do you do? Through the last decade, my primary volunteer roles have
During the month of March, Philabundance is thrilled to celebrate National Nutrition Month alongside Feeding America and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. This year’s National Nutrition Month theme of Personalize Your Plate reflects Philabundance’s expansive and diverse service area. In Philadelphia alone, nearly one in four residents speaks a
Just two days prior to his inauguration, President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, along with their children and grandchildren, joined Philabundance staff and volunteers in paying tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. and the spirit of volunteerism and public service for which he stood. We were honored
The 2020 holiday season looked a lot different for many in the Philadelphia region, including Philabundance. We are so grateful to our wonderful donors and friends in the community who came together — whether virtually or at safe distances – to ensure that the annual events we have come to
Dear Friend, I hope this issue of The Feed finds you happy and healthy as we all settle into a new year, one full of possibility for Philabundance and all those we serve. It’s been nearly a year since life as we knew it changed with the onset of COVID-19.
Photo by Laura Macenka / Philabundance Photo by Adam Schultz / Biden for President President-elect Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden rolled up their sleeves yesterday to pack boxes of food at Philabundance headquarters paying tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. and to the spirit of volunteerism and public service
On Friday, December 18, Philabundance CEO Loree Jones was able to speak about our efforts in the fight against hunger on The Lead, a news show on CNN hosted by Philly’s own Jake Tapper. With Philabundance partner agencies seeing up to a 60% increase in need, this national exposure
Every November, Philabundance partners with 6ABC to raise awareness on the issue of food insecurity and highlight those working to fight hunger in our region through a series of news pieces. Although COVID forced a lot of holiday traditions to pivot, 6ABC was able to adapt its annual telethon, food
November has always been a busy month for Philabundance, as the holidays often come with an increase in food insecurity. Thanks to the generosity and support of individuals, corporations, media outlets and more, the fight against hunger was the topic of the month. The 22nd Annual Camp Out for Hunger
Dear Friends, As we enter the holiday season, my first at Philabundance, I can’t help but acknowledge what a difficult time the holidays can be for so many of our neighbors. The events of this year have placed a strain on so many individuals and families throughout our region, making
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PHILABUNDANCE COMMUNITY KITCHEN HOSTS GRAND OPENING OF NEW FACILITY IN NORTH PHILADELHPHIA Will provide expanded job training for students and meals for those in need Philadelphia, PA, September 22, 2020 – Philabundance, one of the region’s largest hunger-relief organizations, will celebrate the opening
My friends, Thank you for welcoming me to Philabundance as the new Chief Executive Officer. I am joining this organization with a mixture of pride and humility. For 35 years, Philabundance has worked for the unheard. It has provided sustenance to those who, for whatever circumstances, could not fulfill
Sarah F. Geiger has been with Philabundance for nearly nine years. In her role as Director of Agency Relations, she and her team work with 350 member agencies in our community to use your donations to get food into the hands of those in need. The onset of the
Philabundance began our first pilot collaboration with Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery and Delaware Counties and The Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities (PCRC). The pilot focuses on combining food resources with case management and financial coaching to move families toward long-term stability. Philabundance is providing the overall collective impact backbone
Sharswood THRIVE seeks to fundamentally change the way people seek and receive services by promoting a comprehensive safety-net system approach. The organization not only provides stability services like housing and healthcare, but also economic mobility empowerment through workforce development, home ownership and financial literacy training. Sharswood THRIVE is a multi-year project which will be carried out in collaboration with partner community organizations. The overall goal is to create a
Cooking for guests at a Philadelphia homeless shelter, Tyrone Williams gives people one piece of advice. “I just tell them, you’ve got to keep striving,” he says. Tyrone, 34, persevered through his 14 weeks in Philabundance Community Kitchen (PCK), a culinary- and life-skills program for adults looking for a fresh start.
MEDIA ALERT Philabundance Launches Drive-Thru Style Emergency Food Distribution WHAT: In response to increasing food insecurity across the region and the new normal of social distancing, Philabundance is opening a free drive-thru style emergency food distribution site in parking lot N at Citizens Bank Park, home of the
Dear Friend, As our community continues to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, families across the Delaware Valley are facing the challenges of summer hunger months earlier than usual. As you know, school meal programs provide a vital food safety net for thousands of local children. But when school is out
Temporary Closure, March 26, 2020 Philabundance will be closed and operations cease on Thursday, March 26 and Friday, March 27 out of an abundance of caution for its staff, volunteers and the public. At this time, no staff have tested positive for Coronavirus or suspect that they might have
With the recent spread of coronavirus in the U.S. and daily changes in its status in our area, we are committed to adopting new policies and practices to ensure the good health and safety of our clients, partners, volunteers, staff and supporters as we drive hunger from our communities today
While our founder, Pam Rainey Lawler, was at the Hay Group in marketing communications, she noticed the volume of left-over perishable foods often generated by restaurants, caterers, farmers’ markets and small grocers. Concerned about the growing problem of domestic hunger, she conducted research and found that no one else was
Dear Friend, You are simply amazing. Even though the holidays are a distant memory now, I’m reminded daily of the generosity you showed at the end of 2019. You not only put food on the table at a very special time of year, but you helped prepare Philabundance to serve
By Lisa Ryan, Communications Associate The holiday season brings plenty of exciting traditions to Philabundance, including 6abc’s annual Holiday Hunger series, which highlights food insecurity and local efforts to “beet” hunger. This year, 6abc shared new developments in Philabundance’s food rescue efforts; our culinary- and life-skills training programs;
Dear Friends, If you’re anything like me, you have a lot of happy memories connected with holidays. Maybe your traditions include reminiscing over well-worn boxes of decorations, wrapping presents for those you love or even watching classic holiday movies. But can you imagine a holiday celebration without a table full
Philabundance is looking forward to a star-studded, fun-filled, donation-heavy 93.3 WMMR’s Preston and Steve’s Camp Out for Hunger, the largest single-location food drive in the country. And you can make it even better! To make the event a hit, Preston & Steve seek a current or former food recipient
You’re hungry. And you have a family. You have enough food for dinner tonight and tomorrow but you’re waiting for your paycheck Friday to ensure you’ll have money for food for the weekend. You’re fairly confident it will work out (you do this budget dance every month) but you “take
Every Wednesday morning, neighbors gather outside a Kensington row home and wait for the front door to swing open. Inside, Emergency Services Coordinator Maria Nieves and a team of volunteers prepare for a busy day giving food to neighbors in need. People might come to The Simple Way for
