Food Center/Chester

In the last few years the classic food banking model that was relying on donated food is becoming less practical as the need for assistance increases and the food donations decrease. Food banks across the country have begun searching for new methods to fight the mounting need with less food.

In response to this, Philabundance is offering a new kind of solution that addresses food insecurity and food access inequality while providing choice, dignity and respect.

Philabundance plans to open a new community food center in the City of Chester, Delaware County. The City of Chester has been without a grocery store for more than 10 years. Philabundance’s community food center will address food access inequality by delivering reliable access to food staples, including fresh produce, through a non-profit retail shopping experience.

The food center will offer the lowest prices possible as well as some food free of charge and will accept SNAP benefits and offer SNAP outreach as a resource to the community. This model promotes food equality by offering a full range of food products at one convenient location while stretching the customer’s dollar. Residents will not need to leave the city limits for nutritious foods. Philabundance hopes to replicate this model in other communities in the Delaware Valley.

Chester is one of the 35 food deserts in the Delaware Valley according to the USDA’s food desert locator. Mari Gallagher of MG Research defines a food desert as a large, contiguous area with poor access to mainstream grocers. The City of Chester is also part of Pennsylvania’s First Congressional District, the fourth hungriest district in the United States according to the Food Research and Action Center’s 2011, Food Insecurity Survey. In July of 2010, Philabundance surveyed 398 individuals, modeled after the USDA Food Security survey, and found 54 percent of Chester residents stated it was too far to travel for nutritious foods. More than half of Chester residents live at 200% of the poverty line according to the American Community Survey, 2008-2010 estimates.

Philabundance has been serving the residents of Chester for more than 20 years and provides food to 12 member agencies in the city, 10 of which are food pantries. The food center will be a supplement to the agencies that already help those in need of food assistance. The food pantries that help make up the hunger safety net of agencies need more support to combat the rising numbers of people in need.

For more information on the project please call Marianne Lynch at 215-339-0900 x1102.