Hello! My name is Brittany Campese and I am happy to introduce myself as the new Senior Manager of Volunteers at Philabundance. I have had the pleasure of interfacing with many of you throughout my first two months here, and I look forward to meeting even more of our valued volunteers and partners throughout the upcoming months. I come to Philabundance with a Master of Nonprofit Degree and over 10 years of experience working with nonprofit organizations of all missions and sizes across the U.S. Getting to know the staff, programs, volunteers, and partners of Philabundance has been an exciting ...
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How many families would $187.50 feed? Recently my teenage son and I were looking at back to school clothes. He saw a pair of designer pants that cost $187.50 and said that he “really” wanted them for the first day of school. I was appalled. With families and individuals who are struggling to put food on their table, we sat down to talk about what this amount represented to those that don’t have a way to feed their children or themselves some days. Just this week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released figures for those without enough food to eat as well ...
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Growing up one of my favorite treats was when my mom would make homemade pizza from scratch. Now, as you can imagine, with three little sisters who were sometimes pretty picky, I didn't always get to have all of my favorites on our pizzas. So here's a fun way that you can please everyone in the family and have an interactive time as well. By using Italian bread as a base, you can quickly make individual pizzas and set up a little "buffet" of toppings that each member of the family can use to craft their own piece of perfection. Family ...
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Few think of summer, a season of packing the car and heading down the shore, as the time of greatest need. But as summer comes to a close and kids are getting ready to head back to school, I think about all of the families who have been struggling the last few months. Many families in the Delaware Valley are reeling from the financial burden summer can bring for those having trouble putting food on the table. With the kids’ home from school, the task of providing meals that would otherwise be covered by free and reduced lunch at school ...
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The key to a successful trip to the store, or in this case, the Philabundance Community Food Center, is to choose items that offer maximum value and versatility. During a recent trip to Philabundance, the first item that inspired me was pork shoulder. An often overlooked cut of meat, it's very affordable, easy to work with, and can be used in many different dishes over several days. A well-cooked pork shoulder only requires two things: proper seasoning and patience. I like to make a mixture of kosher salt, black pepper, chopped garlic and fresh thyme, if you have any (dried will ...
Read More Most of us have experienced what it’s like to be hungry at some point in our lives. More than likely it was because you didn’t have time to eat, you were too busy working, or it’s because you simply just forgot. Eventually your pounding headache or your growling stomach lets you know you’ve pushed the limit and it’s way past meal time. Ravishing, you run to the fridge, cabinet or store to grab the most readily eatable item- chips, candy, leftovers (if you’re lucky), anything to satiate yourself. At that point you’ve given up caring what or where those calories ...
Read More There are a lot of things that come to mind when we think of summer - beaches, boats, hot air and cool water, and of course vacation. For many residents in the area, you're not really living unless you're spending much of the summer "down the shore". As a non-beach goer, I get to enjoy everyone else's vacations when I can finally find a parking space near my apartment in Center City. But here's something to consider, hunger never takes a vacation. People get away to forget about their worries, but for those struggling to feed themselves and their families the ...
Read More Michelle Obama is concerned with obese children. The Food Network is airing specials about bedraggled mothers who take two buses just to buy overpriced potatoes. The food pyramid has been reinvented so many times, an Egyptian nutritionist wouldn't recognize it. What we eat and why is on the minds of many. In this article the myth-or-monster of the "food desert" is debunked by new studies claiming no causal relationship between food access and health - that is, the length one travels to a grocery store has no bearing on one's ability (or lack thereof) to eat the food that store offers. ...
Read More When I first began working at Philabundance in August, I was slightly embarrassed by my somewhat obscure food choices and how strongly they define my identity. I didn't think it was appropriate to care so much about food as I set out to work for an organization that helps people who may not have the privilege to pick and choose the way I do. But then I met countless and self-described foodies, locavores, vegetarians, and of course, other vegans---people who choose to make food a priority in their lives. Although not everyone has the privilege to make food choices such a ...
Read More Outside of the Community Food Center, a long line of families and individuals are waiting to stock their shelves with groceries for the week ahead. The Philabundance Community Food Center is our choice food cupboard that allows the people we serve to choose from available food items rather than receiving a pre-packaged bag or box, promoting a sense of dignity. On one particular day, one man passing by the long line decided to stop. As he observed the line, he became overwhelmed by a sense of duty. Brought to tears at the sight of his fellow neighbors moving through the line, ...
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