Help hungry families afford the food they need

For 278 families in our region, last year was made just a bit easier thanks to the support of hunger fighters like you!

As we begin a new year, we are thrilled to report that our two Green Light Pantries served nearly 30,000 pounds of healthy food to 278 families in 2015.

If you are not familiar with this initiative, these Green Light Pantries were opened in 2013 and provide only highly nutritious food to their clients. In addition, pantry members can participate in monthly nutrition workshops, health screenings and receive other services.

"It's just different," said Danaya, a client of the Green Light Pantry. "Everything is so fresh...It's just a home feeling. A home away from home...it saves me tremendously being able to have it (the pantry) in my life."

For many families that face food insecurity, nutritious food is often not an option as it generally cost more to eat healthy. This pantry model was designed to improve healthy food access for all. 

In November, we teamed up with the Philadelphia Eagles for the annual Eagles Tackle Hunger online healthy food drive. The campaign brought in thousands of pounds of food to benefit the Green Light Pantries. Two Eagles players, Cody Parkey and Brandon Bair kicked off the drive by delivering freshly picked produce from our friends at Greener Partners with Swoop, the team mascot.

In our 2015 Emergency Food Provider Report, we surveyed more than 230 food pantries and soup kitchens in the Philadelphia region. One of many important findings was that 90 percent of respondents indicated that they wanted to offer healthy food to their clients. 

Important to us is that the Green Light Pantries follow the "choice pantry" model, meaning that clients are allowed to choose exactly which foods they would like, instead of receiving a pre-packaged bag or box. Not only does this cut down on food waste, but it provides clients with a measure of dignity as well.

We look forward to assisting even more families with more food in 2016. As always, thank you for your support of programs like our Green Light Pantries!

Links:

• http://www.hungercoalition.org/greenlight
• http://www.hungercoalition.org/2015-emergency-food-provider-report

Just about one year ago, The Coalition Against Hunger partnered with The Food Trust to hold an Eat Healthy, Give Healthy food drive at local farmers’ market’s to increase accessibility to fresh produce at local food pantries.

It began as an idea by two AmeriCorps VISTA's, Jessica Humphries and Kalie Wertz, and the immediate success let us know that people in Philadelphia care about fresh food access for all! 

The goal of the initial drives, held at Headhouse Square and Fitler Square Farmers' Markets in November 2014, was to give shoppers at the market an opportunity to donate fresh produce that would benefit the Coalition's Green Light Pantries.

The drives, held the Saturday and Sunday before Thanksgiving, collected 455 pounds of produce. Thrilled with the success, Jess and Kalie planned a second drive ahead of the Christmas holiday and collected an additional 270 pounds of produce to benefit food pantries in West Philadelphia.

It was clear that Eat Healthy, Give Healthy could serve as a way to get significant amounts of fresh produce into the hands of people at food pantries. Committed to connecting food pantries to fresh produce, The Coalition Against Hunger and The Food Trust now hold Eat Healthy, Give Healthy drives throughout the year.

The idea has caught the attention of others as well, and now Jefferson Hospital’s Farmers’ Market holds its own each month. All told, the drives have brought in nearly 2,000 pounds of fresh produce to food pantries across the city.

Please support our mission to increase healthy food access to all!

Links:

• Eat Healthy, Give Healthy!