If you've had the chance to read some of the recent articles in The Philadelphia Inquirer and other local newspapers, what I'm about to tell you will come as no surprise. Poverty in the Delaware Valley is growing. In addition, we're also seeing more and more working poor families struggling to put a roof over their heads and food on the table.The salaries of some professions and jobs that once provided enough money to pay for necessities, just have not kept up with the cost of providing life's basic necessities: housing, medical care, transportation, and food.

Philadelphia is one of the largest cities in the country. According to recent Census Bureau statistics, 25% of its population alone lives at or below the poverty level. For a family of four, that translates into having an income before taxes of $20,000 or less in 2007. For a single person, $9,800. For a family of two, $13,200. For a family of six, $26,800.

Making a little more may lift you out of poverty, but it only helps you join the ranks of the working poor ineligible for most aid. We're seeing a growing need among families earning as much as twice the poverty level. For our family of four, that translates into $40,000 a year. These working poor make too much to qualify for Food Stamps, but too little to be totally self-sufficient.

So you see, that's where you and Philabundance come in. At these levels of income, our neighbors are hard pressed to pay the rent, utilities, and medical and transportation costs, let alone provide nutritious food for themselves and their families.Together we have been able to provide food for many of our struggling neighbors. Without you, we wouldn't have been able to do as much as we have.

But as the needs grow, and the gap widens, we need to reach out to even more of our neighbors working so hard to provide for their loved ones. With your continued help, we can begin to fill in more of this gap with the kinds of nutritious food that we all need to thrive and grow.


William J. Clark
Executive Director