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File #: 240448    Version: 0 Name:
Type: Resolution Status: ADOPTED
File created: 5/9/2024 In control: CITY COUNCIL
On agenda: Final action: 5/9/2024
Title: Honoring, recognizing, and congratulating Philabundance, the Greater Philadelphia Area's largest hunger relief organization, on the occasion of its 40th Anniversary.
Sponsors: Council President Johnson, Councilmember Harrity, Councilmember Young, Councilmember O'Rourke, Councilmember Brooks, Councilmember Bass, Councilmember Squilla, Councilmember Gilmore Richardson, Councilmember Thomas, Councilmember Lozada, Councilmember Phillips, Councilmember Driscoll, Councilmember Landau
Attachments: 1. Signature24044800
Title
Honoring, recognizing, and congratulating Philabundance, the Greater Philadelphia Area's largest hunger relief organization, on the occasion of its 40th Anniversary.

Body
WHEREAS, Philabundance was founded and incorporated in March 1984 by Pamela Rainey Lawler as a food rescue organization with the simple belief that no one should go hungry while good food goes to waste, and was operated out of Pamela Rainey Lawler's Subaru station wagon for the first year of its existence; and

WHEREAS, Philabundance's initial goal was to work with grocers, restaurateurs, bakers, and other food merchants to salvage healthy, nutritious food that was thrown away, but quickly took on the broader mission of driving hunger from communities throughout our region. Today, Philabundance aims to relieve hunger now while working to end hunger for good; and

WHEREAS, Philabundance has expanded since its foundation to include warehouse locations in South Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, and Roxborough, providing hunger relief services throughout the City as well as to 8 surrounding counties, including: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties in Pennsylvania, and Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Salem Counties in New Jersey; and

WHEREAS, Philabundance stepped up to meet the unprecedented community need for food assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, doubling the amount of food distributed from nearly 25 million in 2019 to more than 50 million in 2020, and continuing to serve at this level into 2024 to meet the ongoing heightened demand; and

WHEREAS, Today, Philabundance provides food assistance to more than 100,000 people each week, including targeted services for children and senior citizens; and

WHEREAS, Philabundance serves our neighbors in need through its network of more than 350 community partners including food pantries, schools, places of worship, shelters, social service agencies, and emergency kitchens - with over 220 in the City of Philadelphia; ...

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