USDA Awards Mid-Atlantic Regional Co-Op (MARC) Box Contract

May 12, 2020
2:06 pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

USDA Awards Mid-Atlantic Regional Co-Op (MARC) Box Contract
$3.7 Million Awarded to Distribute Produce Boxes for the Mid-Atlantic Region.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (May 11, 2020) —

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Cooperative (MARC) has been awarded a $3.7 million contract with the United States Department of Agriculture to administer a portion of the Coronavirus Farm Assistance Program (CFAP). The MARC will be producing and distributing more than 160,000 fresh produce boxes to food banks across the Mid-Atlantic to support food-insecure individuals adversely affected by COVID-19 mitigation efforts. The terms of the grant are May 15-June 30, 2020, though USDA has indicated they plan to continue programming through December of 2020.

The MARC, a program of Feeding Pennsylvania, has extensive experience sourcing and transporting fresh produce for its member food banks. Weeks before the USDA announced CFAP, the MARC had already established a program, producing 20 lb. mixed produce boxes to better support the COVID-19 response. “The MARC aims to support our member food banks by coordinating the sourcing and logistics of affordable fresh produce,” said James DeMarsh, director of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Cooperative. “COVID-19 presented a lot of challenges for food banks in distributing bulk produce. Thanks to a grant from Feeding America, we quickly pivoted to building pre-packed mixed produce boxes to enable fast, efficient, and low-touch distribution. The new USDA program will give us the opportunity to expand our capacity to reach more families in need,” said DeMarsh.

Through CFAP, the USDA will partner with farmers, ranchers, specialty crop producers, food processors, distributors, and non-profit organizations to ensure that all Americans have access to the fresh and wholesome food they need during the COVID-19 national emergency. This program is specifically designed to help distributors, like the MARC, package family-sized boxes with fresh produce, dairy and meat products, all produced in the United States, and transport them to non-profits and food banks across their designated territory.

“Feeding Pennsylvania is incredibly proud of the MARC and their successful application,” said Jane Clements-Smith, executive director of Feeding Pennsylvania. “Our food banks have faced many challenges throughout the COVID-19 crisis as we have seen need increasing due to temporary unemployment. It is essential that we distribute more food to more people in need while adhering to CDC guidelines, and these produce boxes are the perfect solution for continuing to offer fresh produce while minimizing risk for our employees, volunteers, and most importantly, the people we serve.

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MEDIA CONTACTS: Jane Clements-Smith, Executive Director
Feeding Pennsylvania
P: 570-867-3044 | E: Jclemsmith@feedingpa.org
www.feedingpa.org

James DeMarsh, Director
Mid-Atlantic Regional Cooperative
P: 267-535-0487 | E: jdemarsh@feedingpa.org
www.feedingpa.org/marc

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About Feeding Pennsylvania:
Feeding Pennsylvania is a collaborative effort of nine Feeding America-affiliated food banks in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The mission of Feeding Pennsylvania is to promote and aid our member food banks in securing food and other resources to reduce hunger and food insecurity in our communities and across Pennsylvania and to provide a shared voice on the issues of hunger and food access within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. For more information about Feeding Pennsylvania, please visit www.feedingpa.org, connect with us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FeedingPennsylvania, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @FeedingPA.

About Mid-Atlantic Regional Cooperative:
The Mid-Atlantic Regional Cooperative (MARC), a program of Feeding PA, procures and distributes fresh produce to its member food banks throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. We connect growers, shippers, packers, wholesalers, and distributors of fresh produce with opportunities in our hunger relief network. The MARC serves over 26 food banks with weekly and sometimes daily deliveries of fresh produce products to support the food banks in supplying nutritious food to populations in need. For more information about the Mid-Atlantic Regional Cooperative (MARC), please visit https://feedingpa.org/marc.

Philabundance Awards 49 Member Agencies with Capacity Grants

June 18, 2025

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.”