August 2, 2007

State budget cuts Food Programs
Food Costs and Hunger on the Rise

PHILADELPHIA -- August 2, 2007 -- For Our Brother's Place on 907 Hamilton Street in Philadelphia and 199 other food pantries, churches and shelters that provide food for people in need in Philadelphia County, 67,000 pounds of food is about to evaporate.

Unless Philabundance, the Delaware Valley’s largest hunger relief organization, is able to offset the recent 4 percent state budget cut to the State Food Purchase Program (SFPP), Philadelphia County will see a loss of 67,000 pounds of food. Approximately two hundred of Philabundance’s 600 member agencies in Philadelphia County receive food through the SFPP program.

In the fiscal year 2007, Philabundance received $295,000 in SFPP funds, but those funds ran out one month prior to the end of the fiscal year.  Philabundance covered the shortfall with $30,000 of its own money to meet the critical needs of Philadelphia County agencies.  This year’s 4 percent cut translates into $12,000 less for Philadelphia County alone.

“With the 4 percent cut to the State Food Purchase Program, Philabundance is going to have to work so much harder to meet the challenges of the mounting need for food in our community,” said Bill Clark, President and Executive Director of Philabundance. “Escalating food costs will aggravate the problem as they’re expected to rise to 7 percent in the next year. The issues of poverty and hunger are not going away and are only getting worse.”

The SFPP provides funds to counties to buy and distribute food to low-income people. Out of the $27 billion budget, $18 million is included for the SFPP, a decrease of $750,000 or 4 percent and the loss 2.4 million pounds statewide affecting at least 100,000 people in Pennsylvania.

State Budget Cuts Philabundance Funding
Although the Pennsylvania Association of Regional Food Banks lobbied the state legislature for a 6 percent increase in the new budget, what was signed July 17, by Governor Edward Rendell provides 4 percent less money to food-assistance programs in Pennsylvania that include the SFPP and the Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP).

“Although $12,000 may seem like a drop-in-the-bucket, that’s roughly 48,000 meals,” says Bill Clark. “Offsetting this funding loss can only be realized through fundraising efforts in the community, and with appeals to corporations and foundations.”

Philabundance and its supporters hold numerous food and fund drives throughout the year and programs such as Share the Harvest, which encourages regional gardeners and farmers to plant a row and share their extra bounty with neighbors in need, all help to counter the effects of hunger and malnutrition in our region.

For information on lending support to Philabundance’s efforts in fighting hunger in the community, call 215-339-0900 or visit www.philabundance.org.

Philabundance is a non-profit organization fighting hunger and malnutrition in the Delaware Valley.  It was founded in 1984 as a food rescue organization to help ensure that perishable food that otherwise would have gone to waste was instead provided to people in need. Today’s Philabundance is a result of the 2005 integration with the Philadelphia Food Bank. Philadelphia Food Bank was founded in 1980 to be a bridge between those with extra non-perishable food and those without enough. Today, Philabundance provides a full plate of services to more than 600 member agencies and the people they serve. Visit www.philabundance.org for more information.