Philabundance Announces Newest Board Members

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PHILABUNDANCE ANNOUNCES NEWEST BOARD MEMBERS

Philadelphia, Pa – February 7, 2018– Philabundance, the Delaware Valley’s largest hunger relief organization, announces the addition of six new members to its 2018 Board of Directors: Sam Baker of Allen & Company, Pam Carter of the Community College of Philadelphia, Robert J. Clark of Ballard Spahr, Marissa Meyers of Public Health Management Corporation, Milton R. Pratt, Jr. of The Michaels Organization and Nora Swimm of PJM Interconnectivity.

 

“I am pleased to announce the addition of six new hunger heroes on to Philabundance’s Board of Directors,” said Executive Director Glenn Bergman. “Each bring a myriad of experiences and skillsets to the table that will help advance the mission of Philabundance, but most importantly, they each have a passion to help the more than 700,000 people struggling with food insecurity across the Delaware Valley.”

 

Additionally, Philabundance founder, Pamela Rainey-Lawler will be rotating back on to the Board of Directors. Lawler rejoins the board after a year as a Philabundance staff member spearheading the expansion of Philabundance Community Kitchen, a culinary arts and job training program.

 

While hunger and food insecurity are decreasing across the U.S., in our service area it is a growing crisis faced by 1 in 5 of our neighbors – almost double the national average. Philabundance aims to drive hunger from our communities and end hunger forever through direct food distribution programs and approximately 350 member agencies, including shelters, emergency kitchens and soup kitchens.

 

New Board Members:

 

Sam Baker is the Managing Director of Allen & Company, a large investment bank based in New York City. Baker is well versed in banking and investment, having risen through the ranks of Allen & Company and founding Mera Capital Management LP in 2007. A resident of Wayne, Pennsylvania, Baker received his BA in English from Yale University and his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania.

 

Pam Carter, PhD is the Dean of Business & Technology at the Community College of Philadelphia. Carter has an extensive background in post-secondary education, having held teaching and leadership roles at Northcentral University, North Carolina A&T State University and Florida State University. A resident of Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, Carter received her BIS in Applied Business Communications from George Mason University and her PhD in Business Administration from Florida State University.

 

Robert J. Clark is an Associate at Ballard Spahr, a prominent Philadelphia based law firm. Clark draws on several years of experience in government and politics at the federal, state and local levels, even serving as Director of the Office of Public Liaison under Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell. Clark, a resident of Philadelphia, received his B.A. in Political Science and Communication and his J.D from Temple University.

 

Marissa Meyers is the Special Projects Manager for Integrated Health Services at Public Health Management Corporation, a nonprofit public health institute. Meyers has prior experience working in higher education, direct programming, and philanthropy. In addition to Philabundance, Meyers is on the board of directors for the Seybert Foundation and Montgomery Child Advocacy Project. Meyers, a resident of Philadelphia, received her B.A. in Psychology from Rosemont College and her M.S. in Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania.

 

Milton R. Pratt, Jr. is the Senior Vice President of The Michaels Organization, which focuses on the revitalization of communities and the creation and preservation of affordable housing along the East coast from Philadelphia to Florida. In addition to Philabundance, Pratt currently serves on the Board of Directors for the National Housing & Rehabilitation Association. A resident of Blackwood, New Jersey, Pratt earned his BA in Public Administration with a concentration in Urban Planning from West Chester University.

Nora Swimm is the Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Corporate Client Services of PJM Interconnectivity, a wholesale electricity company. Swimm oversees corporate communications and human resources, as well as social responsibility for the organization and serves as co-executive sponsor of the Women’s Employee Resource Group at PJM. A resident of Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, she received her B.S. in Computer Science and MBA in Business Administration from Villanova University.

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About Philabundance
Philabundance is the Delaware Valley’s largest hunger relief organization, serving more than 90,000 people each week in nine counties in PA and Southern NJ. Of those served, 30 percent are children, 16 percent are seniors and adults served include college students, families and the working class. Philabundance rescues, purchases and accepts donated food, and distributed 25 million pounds in 2017 through its own programs and a network of 350 partner agencies. A one dollar donation provides two meals – Give now or learn more at Philabundance.org.
Philabundance Awards 49 Member Agencies with Capacity Grants

Philabundance Awards 49 Member Agencies with Capacity Grants

Philabundance has announced $250,000 in 2025–2027 Capacity Grants for 49 member agencies across Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. This funding will provide the operational capital needed to allow organizations to remain flexible and able to adapt to changing needs.

From faith-based institutions in Delaware County to social service agencies meeting the needs of diverse families across Philadelphia County, the 2025–2027 Philabundance Capacity grantees are among the hundreds of organizations that partner with Philabundance to support the more than 600,000 individuals in our region experiencing food insecurity.

The grantees include

  • Bucks County: Bucks County Opportunity Council; Faith Baptist Church
  • Delaware County: Blessed Virgin Mary; Loaves & Fishes; Prayer Chapel Church of God in Christ
  • Mercer County: Prince of Peace Center
  • Montgomery County: Bethel Community Church; ElderNet of Lower Merion and Narberth; Grace Lutheran Norristown; Love Works Resource Center; Mitzvah Circle; Upper Merion Area Community Cupboard; Patrician Society
  • Philadelphia County: African Family Health Organization; Alexander McClure Elementary School; Bebashi; Bethany Missionary Baptist Church; Breaking Bread on Broad; Bright Hope Baptist Church; Broad Street Love; Brothers of Strawberry Mansion; Calvary Agape Outreach Services; Casa Del Carmen; Cast Your Cares; Christ Apostolic WOSEM; Community Center at Visitation; Episcopal Community Services; The Family Practice & Counseling Network; First Church Worship Center; Germantown Avenue Crisis Ministry; Grace Community Christian Center; Kensington Health Sciences Academy; Lutheran Settlement House; Mighty Writers; Mi Salud Wellness; Nationalities Services Center; North Light Community Center; Old Pine Community Center; Open Door Ministries; Our Brothers Place; Paul L Dunbar School; Project H.O.M.E.; Southwest Family Service Center; St. Paul Outreach; Word In Action International Ministries
  • York County: Bethlehem Baptist Church; Mattie Dixon Community Center
  • Southern New Jersey: Puerto Rican Unity for Progress; SisterHood Inc.

Philabundance Capacity Grants help improve each organization’s ability to operate more efficiently and deliver effective food distribution programs and services. To date, $4.4 million dollars in Philabundance Capacity Grants have been allocated for capacity-building infrastructure, such as refrigerators, freezers, refrigerated vans and technology to empower community partners and improve the food distribution network.

“As federal resources continue to shrink and hunger remains a distressing reality in the Greater Philadelphia region, community-based nonprofits are often a lifeline for families in need of healthy food,” said Loree D. Jones Brown, CEO of Philabundance. “Investing directly in our partners and their infrastructure allows us to swiftly and efficiently meet the needs of thousands of our friends and neighbors experiencing food insecurity.”

“Breaking Bread on Broad is [very] grateful for the new refrigerators we will be able to purchase with our Philabundance grant,” said Dan Seltzer, co-leader of Breaking Bread on Broad (BBoB). “Breaking Bread on Broad is the food pantry of Congregation Rodeph Shalom whose mission is to provide our neighbors in need with food, diapers and period supplies each week. With this grant, we will be able to provide our BBoB neighbors with more fresh fruits, vegetables, and protein to better feed their families.”

“​​With this funding, Casa Del Carmen will invest in critical hardware—such as commercial refrigeration, durable shelving, metal prep-table and mini hand pallet jack—that will enhance the efficiency and reliability of our food pantry operations,” said Janet DeJesus, office manager at Casa Del Carmen. “These improvements will allow us to store more fresh and nutritious food, reduce waste, and serve our neighbors more quickly and with greater dignity. By strengthening our infrastructure, we are not only improving daily logistics but also deepening our commitment to food security and community well-being.”

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