Countless individuals across Philadelphia struggle to prepare a hot meal for themselves. Do you know someone in the same situation and want to know what you can do to help? There are plenty of pantries across the city, but I chose a few to highlight. It is encouraged to spread the word to fellow Temple students and those in the surrounding community. You should not only spread the word about the resources available but volunteer, too. Take a look into doing your part to help the community; everyone deserves a fresh, warm meal or the resources to make their own.
It is no secret that residents in Philadelphia suffer from food insecurity, as many major cities do. Food insecurity is the lack of access to adequate food to promote an active and healthy lifestyle. Here are some resources that you or someone you know may need:
Grace Cafe
We want to commend our Charity of Choice this year! Grace Cafe is a wonderful restaurant-style community meal service that provides fresh and hot food to those who are homeless and/or struggling with food insecurity. You can either get a meal for yourself or choose to volunteer and help serve those meals to others. They provide weekly wellness clinics that are available every Sunday from 5:50 to 7:00 PM.
For those who wish to grab a delicious and nutritious meal, visit them on Sunday from 3:00-6:00 PM at 55 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19107.
A few of the events that you can volunteer for include the Grace Cafe Cooking Team, Grace Cafe Serve Team, and Arch Street Wellness Collaborative. Grace Cafe is a great organization with a generous team of staff and volunteers. Contact Deaconess Darlene DiDomineck or Kristi Painter at gracecafe@archstreetumc.org to be a part of the Grace Cafe community.
If you have no time to volunteer, try to spread awareness of the meal serves and donate. Click here to donate to Grace Cafe or send a check made out to “The Center Philadelphia” and addressed to “55 N Broad St., Philadelphia, PA, 19107”!
Philabundance
Philabundance aims to provide nutritious meals in the fight against hunger for children, families, and seniors. They are based in a 9-county service area in Southern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey. Each week, donations from donors allow them to give food to over 135,000 hungry people in these areas. Any amount that you donate will supply double that amount in meals. $10 will create 20 meals, so any amount can help someone hungry and in need. If you would like to help those in surrounding communities, there is an option to donate once or monthly!
Cherry Pantry
There are fellow Temple Owls on and off campus who are struggling with food insecurity that Cherry Pantry looks to support. Cherry Pantry is an in-house pantry of non-perishable goods and hygienic products as a free option for all Temple students. Cherry Pantry is a great place to make a donation or spread awareness to anyone you know that the pantry can provide value to. All students should get the chance to eat healthy and nutritious food. Email them at pantry@temple.edu for more information about how you can get some food and supplies.
People wishing to donate may drop food or hygiene products during the hours of operation of the pantry, or they are welcome to go on the Amazon Wish List and buy food to be delivered to the pantry directly. You can also make a financial contribution by emailing them at cherrypantry@temple.edu, or clicking the link here to go online to the university’s giving page. Cherry Pantry is located at 224A Howard Gittis Student Center.
Covenant House
Covenant House is another valuable resource that helps those in need receive nutritious food. It focuses its efforts on displaced or unhoused youths and survivors of trafficking by giving love, respect, and support to reach a better future. The Covenant House's top priority is to be a beacon of hope and empower young people to overcome adversity. In addition to providing food and shelter for the children, it gives protection, clothing, medical care, and the chance for advancement in education and employment. Located in 34 cities across 6 countries, Covenant House aims to efficiently aid tens of thousands of children in the best way possible. In Philadelphia, it provides free services to about 3,200 youth annually. Covenant House is a top-rated charity and is one of the most accountable and transparent charities. It is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, and donations are tax-deductible.
Located: 31 E. Armat Street Philadelphia, PA 19144
Phone: 215-951-5411
Community pantries are extremely important, especially in urban areas like Philadelphia; with thousands of people in the city that experience food insecurity with little to no way to fix it. You can take action by spreading awareness of the resources available to these individuals and bring us one step closer to bettering the community and changing their lives. The act of volunteering or donating even once can make a difference. The rise of prices in the area is detrimental to those who can afford to eat healthily, imagine how it is affecting the lowest class in the city. Please consider donating to any of the previous pantries, or one you are passionate about not mentioned, to assist someone less fortunate than you.
