FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Resolve to Give Back, Find Resources and Join the Fight Against Hunger in 2020
Philadelphia, PA, January 9, 2020— New census reports from December 2019 show that in most Philadelphia neighborhoods, household incomes are down and rates of poverty are rising. This data shows why Philabundance is committed to driving hunger from its communities today and ending hunger for good – and why it is critical to help in the fight against hunger. In 2020, Philabundance is expanding its culinary and life-skills training program and will also offer even more ways for community members to get involved in hunger relief or to find food in times of need.
Get A Fresh Start: Since 2000, Philabundance Community Kitchen (PCK) has provided free culinary and life skills training, helping adults with no- to low income prepare for and secure living-wage jobs through its 14-week program. To date, PCK has served about 5 million meals to Philadelphians in need and helped more than 900 graduates enter the workforce. This summer, PCK will move into an 18,800 square foot dedicated facility where it can best enhance its educational and community impact. Support the program by a using PCKatering, a catering company and social enterprise whose proceeds go toward the PCK program.
Learn how to support PCK or enroll as a student at https://www.philabundance.org/pck/.
Give Back: Philabundance couldn’t serve 90,000 people each week without dedicated volunteers, and in the New Year, it needs more volunteers to help sort and pack over 3 million pounds of food from holiday food drives. Sign up to help at https://www.philabundance.org/volunteer/.
Hunger impacts every zip code, and Philabundance tackles that problem with the help of 350 member agencies which operate food pantries, emergency kitchens, produce distributions, and other hunger relief programs throughout nine counties in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Volunteer opportunities at agencies are available at https://www.philabundancevolunteers.org/agency/.
Fight Waste:
- One in five Philadelphians faces hunger, while 40 percent of all food produced in the U.S. goes to waste. To increase its food rescue efforts, Philabundance partners with Food Connect to pick up local businesses’ quality, excess food and deliver it to Philabundance agency partners. Food Connect needs more restaurant and food retail partners and volunteer drivers to rescue surplus food. Learn more at http://www.foodconnectgroup.com/.
- Philabundance’s Abundantly Good retail brand fights food waste, helps our neighbors in need, and benefits local farmers. Proceeds from Abundantly Good cheese go toward processing excess milk from small Pennsylvania farms into free cheese for people facing hunger. Abundantly Good Tomato Jam also rescues quality food and proceeds go to provide people in need with tomato-based products from quality produce that would otherwise go to waste. Learn more at https://www.philabundance.org/upcycle.
Find Food: For those in need of food assistance, visit Philabundance online at https://www.philabundance.org/find-food/.
Learn more about these programs or how you can support Philabundance by contacting Lisa Ryan, Public Relations Associate, at lryan@philabundance.org or 724-259-3524 x1155 or by visiting 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.
