In honor of the 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, Philabundance hosted and attended community service projects across the Greater Philadelphia region. This day was a great reflection on our mission to relieve hunger now and end hunger for good, and we are thankful for each and every one of our dedicated staff and board members, as well as our committed volunteers, for helping us carry out Dr. King’s legacy.
“Dr. King’s courageous and unwavering commitment to social justice and equality included a call to eliminate hunger and poverty,” said Philabundance CEO Loree Jones Brown. “His dream included a world without hunger, a nation in which no American parent has to skip a meal so that their children may eat.’”
We were humbled to welcome President Joe Biden, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, and young individuals from across the region, including AmeriCorps volunteers, for a special repack shift to create special family meal kits at our Hunger Relief Center in South Philadelphia. Each kit consisted of fresh produce and additional items to create a complete family meal with a recipe card included. The boxes also included snacks tailored for children, such as apples and granola bars.
At our warehouse in Roxborough, we were pleased to welcome volunteers from ages 12 and up who created 5,000 nutritious BackPack kits for children facing food insecurity in the Greater Philadelphia region. The BackPack program provides healthy meals for kids to take home on the weekends during the school year. Each kit includes an entree such as chicken noodle soup, tuna salad, and pasta with vegetables, as well as fruit juices, cereals, shelf-stable milk, canned fruit, and healthy snacks. Since the program’s inception in 2017, we’ve been able to distribute 1.6 million pounds of food, equal to 1.3 million healthy meals.
In addition, we sorted and processed nutritious food at our Berks warehouse, as well as prepared delicious meals at the Philabundance Community Kitchen and Woodstock in North Philadelphia. We were also on hand at Girard College to spread our message and provide important resources for people in need.
“As I reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and legacy, and reflect on the work of Team Philabundance, the word that comes to mind above all is INSPIRED,” Loree said. “Going into Philabundance’s 40th year, I am deeply inspired to continue bringing Dr. King’s ideals to life through serving our neighbors in need and advocating for lasting change. It is my joy and privilege to serve alongside you as we do our part toward making Dr. King’s dream a reality.”
If you would like to help Philabundance to feed children, families, and individuals in need, visit Philabundance.org to learn how you can get involved.
