January 27, 2005
Greater Philadelphia Food Bank and Philabundance Finalize Merger
New Philabundance to Provide the Largest Hunger Relief Service in Delaware Valley

PHILADELPHIA, PA, - The Delaware Valley's two largest hunger relief organizations have officially merged to form a new entity, which will operate under the Philabundance name. The announcement was made today by the Chairmen of the Boards of Directors of the Greater Philadelphia Food Bank and Philabundance. William J. Clark, Philabundance Executive Director, will head the new organization.
The merger positions Philabundance as the largest food collection and distribution network in the region. It assists more than 1,100 human service agencies across nine counties, feeding more than 574,000 area residents who live at or below the poverty line and who are at risk of hunger.

According to David Buten, Chairman of the Board of Philabundance, "This merger brings over 20 million pounds of nutritious food to the table and allows us to better address and serve the needs of the hungry and malnourished in the Delaware Valley. We can now efficiently integrate, streamline and align existing programming and services to leverage national hunger initiatives and branding to offer a 'full plate' of services, meals, education and training under one roof.'
The Greater Philadelphia Food Bank was founded in 1981 to redirect surplus food to regional agencies that serve people suffering from hunger and malnutrition. Philabundance was founded in 1984 as a food rescue and distribution organization, which emphasizes providing perishable food that meets the nutritional dietary requirements of those they serve.

Now, in a combined effort to fight hunger and malnutrition in the Delaware Valley, the new Philabundance will provide a comprehensive approach to hunger relief services. In addition to distributing perishable and nonperishable food items, Philabundance will provide nutrition education, children's nutrition programs, job training, and support to more than 1,100 agencies throughout the region.

"This merger gives us the staff, support network, resources, and economies of scale to meet the Philabundance goal of 'driving hunger from our community,'' said William Clark. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create and promote a national model for innovative, effective hunger relief.'

For more information, log on to www.philabundance.org, or call 215-339-0900 x 253.