Help hungry families afford the food they need

If you couldn't afford enough food for your family, where would you go for help?

Every year, more than 6,000 people call our Food Assistance Hotline. Some of them saw a flyer at the unemployment office; others heard our PSAs on the radio. Some were lucky enough to have family or friends to refer them. 

But for every person who calls us, there are many more who need help but have no idea where to find it.  

That’s why we started “Fighting Hunger Block by Block.” The goal: To reach struggling families in Philadelphia’s highest-need areas by raising awareness in their communities about the help that’s available to them. 

In recent months, the Coalition Against Hunger has focused on the Nicetown section of North Philadelphia—an area where more than 1 in 3 residents live in poverty. For a family of four, that means getting by on about $23,000 a year.     

We’ve talked with Nicetown residents and community leaders at town hall meetings, resource fairs and back-to-school nights. We’ve enlisted neighborhood organizations, places of worship, schools, and businesses to join our network and educate the people they serve about resources in their community.

We even went door to door to equip as many people as possible with information on food assistance—including how to apply for SNAP (food stamps), where to find their nearest food pantries, how to enroll their kids in free school meals, and where they could buy affordable produce. 

Every community member needed to know: Help is here if you need it.

What’s more, we wanted the entire neighborhood to play a role in spreading that message, especially to those who needed it most. 

Supporters like you make it possible for us Fight Hunger Block by Block in Philadelphia. And with your help, we’ll continue to work hard to reach every person who needs help putting food on the table in every community.

Thank you, as always, for your support.       

Links:

• "PA Tackling Hunger Block by Block," Public News Service