Despite the growth and development Philadelphia has experienced in the past decades, the city still faces many challenges involving hunger. Food insecurity is a burden and challenge faced by many Philadelphians. Although food insecurity is a prominent issue in city, many local companies strive to combat this problem.
Hunger in Philadelphia
In the city of Philadelphia, food insecurity is widespread. Food insecurity is defined as “a household’s inability to provide enough food for every person to live an active, healthy life. It has been reported throughout the city, 1 in 5 citizens go hungry and Philadelphia has been ranked on the top ten “hungriest” cities in the country.
Who’s Helping
Although hunger is a prominent issue in the city of Philadelphia, there are many who aim to fight and overcome this issue.
Manna
Individuals living with life-threatening disease are at a greater risk of food insecurity. Manna is a non-profit that provides free, nourishing meals tailored to individuals’ specific disease needs. Those participating in the Manna meal delivery service receive three free meals a day, seven days a week. Manna’s hunger-fighting power is mainly fueled by volunteers and the non-profit welcomes all to come help fight hunger in Philadelphia.
Philabundance
Serving 90,000 low income individuals a week in the Delaware River area, Philadundance is one of the largest food rescue organizations in the area. Philabundance receives food donations from individuals, retailers, and food manufacturers, which is then directed to shelters, kitchens, and free produce markets for those enrolled in Philabundance. Individuals in Philadelphia can support Philabundance in many ways by volunteering, donating, or hosting fundraisers.
Broad Street Ministry + The Rooster
The Broad Street Ministry is a long-standing non-profit Christian community helping people throughout Philadelphia. This organization shelters and serves those in need while fostering a community for spiritual and self growth. Through the Hospitality Collaboration, the Broad Street Ministry partners with Philadelphian businesses, such as The Rooster to help aid their guests. The Rooster is a restaurant owned by the chef behind Zahav, Dizengoff, and Fed Donuts, Mike Solomonov. In this partnership, The Rooster donates 100% of its profits to the Broad Street Ministry to help further its mission.
Simply Good Jars
As a mission-driven company, we strive to make a positive impact in all that we do. Through our community partnerships, we have been able to donate 45,074 meals (as of September 2020–check our homepage for the most updated count!) to those in need.
Helping to Stop Food Insecurity
Despite the high amount of food insecurity found in Philadelphia, there are many companies striving to improve these conditions. Whether these are non-profits, companies, or individuals, Philadelphia is working towards decreasing food insecurity throughout the city.
By Elise Deming, MS, RDN, LDN
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