For 35 years, Philabundance has been rescuing perfectly good food that would otherwise go to waste and providing it to neighbors in need through hundreds of member agencies and programs. The 110 Philabundance team members are mission-driven like no other group you’ve seen, bringing food to 90,000 people every week!
While we are proud of the number of people we serve, we remain very aware of the constant need, especially experienced by our senior neighbors. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported in December that the level of senior poverty in Philadelphia is the worst among the ten largest cities in the United States at 26%, or one in four seniors – 16% of those Philabundance serves are seniors.
We have seen poverty and food insecurity numbers worsen over the last 10 years, even as employment levels improve. Unfortunately, many seniors have worked low-wage jobs for years without being able to save for retirement. The reduction of pension plans for retirees and the lack of sufficient public benefits also cause many seniors to suffer.
Moving forward, Philabundance also has the important goal of partnering with more social service agencies that are providing services besides food assistance. This will allow us to have a more comprehensive approach in our fight to end hunger forever, thereby reducing the number of seniors, families and children in need.
We cannot achieve this ambitious goal without your support. For that we thank you, sincerely, for all you do to help your hungry neighbors.
Gratefully,
Glenn Bergman
Executive Director
