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  Volunteers have a longstanding and enduring importance in our country, and 2014 marks the 40th anniversary of National Volunteer Week. National Volunteer Week is a nationwide initiative that strives to recognize and inspire volunteers across the country. Volunteers are at the forefront of enacting social change in their communities, making a tangible difference every day. Philabundance serves 75,000 people each week through its network of member food pantries, emergency kitchens and shelters across nine counties in the Delaware Valley. This could not be accomplished without the help of our 16,000 volunteers each year. From sorting and packing food in our warehouse ...

2014 marks the twentieth anniversary of AmeriCorps. Comprised of three main branches, including AmeriCorps State & National, AmeriCorps National Civilian Conservation Corps (NCCC), and AmeriCorps Volunteer In Service To America (VISTA), AmeriCorps service members work on varied tasks throughout the US to “get things done for America.” From planting trees and restoring trails in national parks to tutoring children in schools across the country, more than 820,000 AmeriCorps service members have served for over a billion service hours, since the first AmeriCorps cohort entered the field in 1994. Since 2009, more than two-dozen VISTAs have served with Philabundance. Each full-time VISTA ...

Some people believe that since hunger has been a scourge from biblical times, humankind can never really expect to end it. Maybe reducing it or maybe minimizing it is possible, but not really ending it. I fully disagree. The United States is the richest country in the world. We have learned how to abolish slavery, eliminate child labor and extend women the right to vote. Nowadays, a public or volunteer fire company will extinguish your house fire whether you are rich or poor. Our schools will educate your children whether you are rich or poor. An ambulance will take you ...

Happy Valentine's Day! Here at Philabundance, we can't think of a better way to celebrate this sweet and generous holiday than by helping families fight hunger through our February campaign, Spread the Love! Philabundance is teaming up with Subaru of America to collect as much peanut butter and jelly as possible through February 28th. For every “Like” Philabundance gets on Facebook, Subaru will donate one jar of peanut butter or jelly to Philabundance--one click of a button on Facebook helps feed our neighbors in need! So, why peanut butter and jelly? Peanut butter is in high demand with our families in need ...

The newest Farm Bill, a massive piece of legislation which sets American agricultural and nutrition policy, was just passed by the House and will be voted on by Senate as early as this week. Some elements of the bill are enormously complex, containing the minutest details of how our government regulates the agricultural sector. But there’s one section of the bill has consequences that couldn’t be easier to understand—the proposed $8.55 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps. The topic of SNAP (Food Stamp) cuts may sound familiar. Just this past November, SNAP ...

Fifty years ago, President Lyndon Johnson declared “unconditional war on poverty in America”. This “War on Poverty” led to the creation of some of our nation’s most important social welfare programs, including Medicare, Medicaid and Head Start. In addition, the Food Stamp program (now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) was formalized and expanded, and America’s housing assistance system began to take shape. Taking stock of the War on Poverty’s efforts, it is clear that, while poverty has certainly not been defeated in America, many battles have been won. According to research from Columbia University, poverty rates fell from 26% ...

The U.S. Census Bureau recently released new data from its 2012 American Community Survey, spanning the five year period from 2008 to 2012. Covering the bulk of the Recession and its aftermath, this data reveals much about how poverty has grown and shifted form over the past several years in our region. Poverty in general has increased—13.1% of Pennsylvanians lived in poverty over the past five years, compared with 11.6% in 2007. In the city of Philadelphia, poverty levels rose at a similar rate, from 24.5% to 26.2%. While these numbers are unfortunate, they are not surprising. More startling is the ...

During the hustle and bustle of the holidays it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of the season. From parties to last minute shopping, it seems that there is not enough time to complete everything on our to-do lists. But if you are looking to give back to those in need this holiday season, Philabundance has a variety of ways you can help fight hunger that will fit right into your busy schedule. Making an impact has never been easier. Check out the ways you can fight hunger here:   Connect with 6abc: 6abc is proud to provide a continued ...

It’s hard to believe that another year of WMMR’s Preston and Steve Camp Out for Hunger has come and gone! 2013 was a special year for the event, ushering new changes to the annual week-long food drive and fundraiser. WMMR’s Preston and Steve set up their RV and camped out at XFINITY Live! at the Sports Complex in South Philadelphia this year, where they broadcasted their morning show from Monday, December 2 through Friday, December 5. Throughout the week, our supporters and WMMR listeners came down to Camp Out each day ready to fight hunger. Supporters were able to purchase bags ...