By Shelby Joy Adams | Director of Development & Communications
At the Coalition Against Hunger, we are focused on increasing access to the food that people need to lead healthy lives throughout the Philadelphia region. That's why a major component of our 5-year Strategic Plan for 2022-2027 is identifying and addressing the root causes of hunger.
Understanding and combating the causes of food insecurity involves both internal and external work. Interally, our team underwent a 3-part anti-racism training throughout the month of September, and we are in the process of integrating new technologies that will allow us to very efficiently deliver our life-changing programs and gain a deep understanding of the impact our programs are having.
We know that historically marginalized communities experience food insecurity at a higher rate than average, and one of the most affected groups are immigrant families and individuals. That's why we hired Jalexa Marmolejos for the newly created role of SNAP Outreach & Hotline Counselor. Jalexa is cultivating relationships with trusted community organizations that serve Spanish speaking immigrant communities to alleviate fears and remove barriers associated with accessing food assistance programs.
While we work to meet those exeriencing food insecurity where they are and offer immediate assistance, we recognize that change at the systemic level will be necessary to eliminate the root causes of food insecurity. At the Coalition Against Hunger we have a department dedicated to community education and legislative advocacy, and our strategic plan outlines goals to engage policy makers to take the steps necessary to eliminate systemic causes of food insecurity.
Click here to see our full Strategic Plan for 2022-2027!
JUST RELEASED: Our Annual Report for the 2021-2022 Fiscal Year
We're proud to look back at our last year and see all of the progress we made in the fight against hunger in our local communities. Over the 2021-2022 fiscal year we:
connected over 125,000 people with vital food resources through our SNAP Hotline, anti-hunger partnerships, community events, and legislative advocacy.
received 10,730 calls to our SNAP Hotline and our counselors completed benefit applications for 2,433 households throughout the Philadelphia region.
redistributed 139,010 pounds of food through our Food Rescue Program to local pantries that reached 22,905 people in 7,776 households across the Philadelphia region.
digitally surveyed and amplified the voices of those with lived experience in food insecurity, and our pantry map was used 97,565 times to find local food resources.
Click here to see our full Annual Report for 2021-2022!
On October 20th, 2022 we hosted our annual Night to Fight Hunger at the Mann Center, our first in-person event since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
There's something very special about gathering in-person, especially after being apart for so long. We're grateful for everyone who came out to rally with us against food insecurity in our local communities by raising funds to support our work and awareness to support our mission at the Night to Fight Hunger. Guests enjoyed dinner by Di Bruno Bros., a live performance by SNACKTIME, and friendly rivalry in lawn games as well as the silent auction. We're looking forward to our next major event, the Race Against Hunger, at the Navy Yard on Saturday, September 30th, 2023!
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