Amidst all of the uncertainty around Covid-19, one thing is certain. People in our community care, and want to help their neighbors. Families that are food insecure are striving to feed their families, while lost wages are forcing more people to turn to Philabundance for help.
Philabundance is more committed than ever to doing whatever we can to keep families from hunger. The City has identified us as an essential service and expects us to play a key role in providing services to food insecure families, and we’re pivoting to partner in new ways with schools, recreation centers and agency partners, all of which will serve as food distribution hubs.
We are also working closely with our 350 member agencies to learn if they are still open or closed, and if open, what they need to continue serving their community. One of our partners told us, “We have seen a drastic increase of people all three days we’ve been open. Thanks for all you provide us with to spread through Philadelphia’s many communities.”
As of today, we’ve identified four key areas of need:
– We need funds immediately to purchase food. This allows us to provide shelf-stable food to feed families. These pre-assembled meal boxes can be distributed with minimal contact. A small box provides two meals for a family of four and a larger box can provide four meals for a family. The funds will also allow us to supplement the cost of food to our agencies, allowing our agencies to save money and redeploy their critical funds.
– Agencies have requested funds for refrigerators and freezers to help them better store food longer. This will become critical to keep perishable foods safe.
– Cleaning supplies are critical to keeping our staff, volunteers, and clients safe and healthy.
– Overtime for our staff, who already work exceptionally hard and are now doing the work traditionally undertaken by hundreds of volunteers, themselves.
Please help Philabundance continue to provide food to those who are struggling through this unprecedented emergency.
I wish you and your family health and safety as you weather this crisis. Thank you for your support of Philabundance, and for your belief in our mission.
