Share Food Program

Last updated
Share Food Program
Formation1985
Type Nonprofit
Location
  • Philadelphia, United States
Region served
Philadelphia
Services Food bank
Executive Director
George Matysik
Chief Program Officer
Steve Preston
Affiliations
  • CSFP - Commodity Supplemental Food Program
  • FMNP - Farmers Market Nutrition Program
  • NSLP - National School Lunch Program
  • SNAP - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
  • TEFAP - The Emergency Food Assistance Program
Websitewww.sharefoodprogram.org

Share Food Program is a social services organization working for hunger relief in the Philadelphia region of Pennsylvania, United States. [1] It serves as a food bank to the communities in accordance with USDA civil rights regulations and feeds more than 1 million people each month in Philadelphia and the suburbs. [2] Share Food Program is the largest hunger-relief agency in the Greater Philadelphia area. [3]

Contents

History

Share Food Program was founded in 1985 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, focused on increasing access to low-cost food in Philadelphia, using a food co-operative model. Beginning in 1991, it expanded its operations to fight hunger, by getting food to people in need throughout the city. [4] [5]

During the COVID-19 outbreak that began in March 2020, the organization partnered with SEAMAAC, a Philadelphia-based non-profit to distribute 1,000 meals and food boxes a day since mid-May 2020. [6] In October 2020, it received grant from William Penn Foundation [7] and, along with other donations, was able to give away 10 million pounds of food. [8]

In January 2021, State Senator Vincent Hughes presented state funding to the Share Food Program for warehouse maintenance. [9] On the National Day of Service, over 100 volunteers participated to distribute food to seniors’ programs and families in need. [10]

In February 2021, the organization received a grant from Dunkin Joy in Childhood Foundation. [11]

Overview

Share Food Program distributes food to 1 million needy people each month, [1] over 50% of whom are children, and 12% of whom are seniors or people with disabilities. It also serves 305,000 children through the national school lunch and breakfast program to 69 regional districts in Philadelphia. [12] [4] The food comes from government partners, supermarkets, wholesalers, restaurants, farms and food drives. [5]

The organization also partners with 150 pantries around Philadelphia as part of its Partner Pantries program. Other programs include food relief, MontCo hunger solutions, nice roots farm and home deliveries. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hunger</span> Sustained inability to eat sufficient food

In politics, humanitarian aid, and the social sciences, hunger is defined as a condition in which a person does not have the physical or financial capability to eat sufficient food to meet basic nutritional needs for a sustained period. In the field of hunger relief, the term hunger is used in a sense that goes beyond the common desire for food that all humans experience, also known as an appetite. The most extreme form of hunger, when malnutrition is widespread, and when people have started dying of starvation through lack of access to sufficient, nutritious food, leads to a declaration of famine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feeding America</span> US nonprofit organization and food bank network

Feeding America is a United States–based non-profit organization that is a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that feed more than 46 million people through food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other community-based agencies. Forbes ranks it as the largest U.S. charity by revenue. Feeding America was known as America's Second Harvest until August 31, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Texas Food Bank</span>

The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is a social benefit organization located in Plano, Texas. The organization distributes donated, purchased and prepared foods through a network of nearly 1,000 feeding programs and 400 Partner Agencies in 13 North Texas counties. The NTFB supports the nutritional needs of children, seniors, and families through education, advocacy and strategic partnerships.

Connecticut Foodshare is a nonprofit organization based in Wallingford, Connecticut. It serves as the sole food bank for all of Connecticut.

The Arkansas Foodbank is a non-profit food bank located in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Arkansas Foodbank distributed more than 20.9 million pounds of food and grocery products to its member agencies for Arkansans in need in 2013, according to chief executive officer, Rhonda Sanders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houston Food Bank</span>

The Houston Food Bank (HFB) is a non-profit organization and the nation's largest food bank by distribution; providing access to 207 million nutritious meals in 18 counties in southeast Texas. The food bank's operations are made possible through a network of 1,800 community partners alongside their partner food banks in Montgomery County, Galveston and Brazos Valley. Headed by its current President and CEO, Brian Greene, the Houston Food Bank is a member organization of Feeding America, with a four-star rating from Charity Navigator. The Houston Food Bank, which bares the mission statement of Food for Better Lives, continues to be acknowledged for its community impact. Notable recognitions include Food bank of the Year in 2015, presented by Feeding America and the Pinnacle winner in 2012 and 2014, presented by the Better Business Bureau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Food rescue</span>

Food rescue, also called food recovery, food salvage or surplus food redistribution, is the practice of gleaning edible food that would otherwise go to waste from places such as farms, produce markets, grocery stores, restaurants, or dining facilities and distributing it to local emergency food programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redwood Empire Food Bank</span>

Redwood Empire Food Bank (REFB) is a food bank on the North Coast of California which belongs to the Feeding America network. Its mission is to end hunger in its community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Chicago Food Depository</span> American nonprofit organization

The Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD) is a nonprofit organization that fights hunger throughout Cook County, Illinois. The GCFD distributes donated and purchased food through a network of 700 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and community programs, serving more than 800,000 adults and children every year. In fiscal year 2016, the GCFD distributed more than 70 million pounds of nonperishable food, produce, dairy products, and meat - the equivalent of more than 160,000 meals every day. Of the $96,883,955 spent in 2016, over 90% went to direct food distribution programs.

The Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger (GPCAH) is a support organization for residents in the Greater Philadelphia region founded in 1996. Its mission is connecting people with food assistance programs including, SNAP benefits, food banks, soup kitchens and "to build a community where all people have the food they need to lead healthy lives".

Philabundance is a non-profit food bank that serves the Philadelphia and Delaware Valley regions of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the largest such organization in the region. The organization stated goal is to end hunger in its communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Partnership for a Healthier America</span>

The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) is a nonprofit organization created in conjunction with - but separate from - former First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! effort in 2010. PHA works with the private sector to transform the food landscape in pursuit of health equity. Mrs. Obama currently serves as PHA's honorary chair, and alongside Higher Ground Productions, launched the Pass the Love w/ Waffles + Mochi campaign on March 10, 2021, with PHA to raise funds to aid in the distribution of 1 million meals to families in need around the country. Inspired by the Netflix series Waffles + Mochi, the campaign also raises awareness about food equity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hunger in the United States</span> Food insecurity

Hunger in the United States of America affects millions of Americans, including some who are middle class, or who are in households where all adults are in work. The United States produces far more food than it needs for domestic consumption—hunger within the U.S. is caused by some Americans having insufficient money to buy food for themselves or their families. Additional causes of hunger and food insecurity include neighborhood deprivation and agricultural policy. Hunger is addressed by a mix of public and private food aid provision. Public interventions include changes to agricultural policy, the construction of supermarkets in underserved neighborhoods, investment in transportation infrastructure, and the development of community gardens. Private aid is provided by food pantries, soup kitchens, food banks, and food rescue organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Harvest North Florida</span> U.S. nonprofit organization

Second Harvest North Florida (SHNF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Jacksonville, Florida, that performs food rescue and redistribution to partner agencies in one quarter of Florida's 67 counties. The charitable organization has been active for over 30 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Community fridge</span> Refrigerator located in a public space

A community fridge is a refrigerator located in a public space. Sometimes called freedges, they are a type of mutual aid project that enables food to be shared within a community. Some community fridges also have an associated area for non-perishable food. Unlike traditional food pantries, these grassroots projects encourage anyone to put food in and take food out without limit, helping to remove the stigma from its use. The fridges take a decentralized approach, often being maintained by a network of volunteers, community members, local businesses, and larger organizations. Food in community fridges is primarily donated by individuals or food rescue organizations and can be sourced from a variety of places. Major grocers like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods donate large amounts of excess foods to food rescue organizations that then donate to these fridges. The food donated would have otherwise been thrown out.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance</span> Food Bank in Phoenix, Arizona

St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance is a nonprofit, nonsectarian organization located in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 1967 by John van Hengel, St. Mary's was the first modern organization to operate using the food bank model, which spread throughout U.S. and the rest of the world. Today, St. Mary's is recognized as the world's first food bank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charitable activities related to the COVID-19 pandemic</span>

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted the international and domestic economies. Thus, many organizations, private individuals, religious institutions and governments have created different charitable drives, concerts and other events to lessen the economic impact felt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Okra Project</span> American mutual aid collective

The Okra Project is an American mutual aid collective that provides support to black trans, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming people. The organization is based in New York City. As of January 2023, Gabrielle Inès Souza serves as the Executive Director of the Okra Project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rethink Food</span> New York based food insecurity non-profit organization

Rethink Food NYC Inc, commonly called Rethink Food or just Rethink, is a non-profit organization based in New York City. The organization was founded to address hunger in the United States by contributing to a sustainable and equitable food system. Rethink collects excess food from restaurants, grocery stores, and corporate kitchens to provide nutritious meals for people living without food security at low or no-cost. The organization expanded its operations in March 2020 to meet growing food demands amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midwest Food Bank</span> U.S. charity

Midwest Food Bank is an American 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that gathers food donations, primarily from large companies, and distributes them to other non-profit organizations and disaster sites. Founded on a family farm in Bloomington, Illinois, in 2003, Midwest Food Bank began expanding in 2005 after contributing to disaster relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina. Currently, it operates ten locations in the United States and two internationally. As of 2021, it was the United States' thirty-ninth-largest charity and second-largest food bank by revenue; each month, it distributes more than $32 million worth of food to more than 2,000 other non-profit organizations.

References

  1. 1 2 Rovins, Donna. "Shoppers have two new grocery options in Montgomery and Chester counties". The Times Herald . Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  2. "How to solve "the lost mile" for hungry Philadelphians". The Philadelphia Citizen. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  3. "Food insecurity rose 'significantly' in households with children and among people of color, report finds". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  4. 1 2 Zlomek, Joe. "Share Food Program Joins Pottsgrove Meals Distribution Monday". The Post . Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  5. 1 2 "About Us". Share Food Program - Official website. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  6. Blatt, Jessica. "SEAMAAC feeds thousands of Philadelphians—and gets out the vote—during Covid-19". The Philadelphia Citizen. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  7. Newsroom. "WPF Awards Racial Equity and COVID-19 Relief Grants". William Penn Foundation. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  8. Lubrano, Alfred. "At holiday time, donations to many food charities aren't keeping up with pandemic-fueled need". The Philadelphia Inquirer . Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  9. MacDonald, Tom. "Place for food insecure finds state funds to help power refrigeration with the sun". WHYY. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  10. 1 2 Stewart, Khiree. "Volunteers spend MLK Day helping out at Share Food Program". PHL17.com. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  11. News anchor. "Dunkin' Presents $25,000 Grant To Philadelphia's Share Food Program". CBS News . Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  12. Lubrano, Alfred. "Idle school bus drivers in Ridley dispatched to deliver food to student families". The Philadelphia Inquirer . Retrieved September 30, 2020.