Loree D. Jones Brown Chief Executive Officer
Loree’s Table From
Dear Friends,
For many of us, the last few months have been filled with uncertainty and anticipation as our nation chose its path forward for the next four years. Now, on the other side of this decision, I want to assure you that we remain committed to delivering on our promise: amplifying our neighbors’ voices and serving our communities when, where, and how they need it.
Earlier this fall, we stayed true to that commitment in recognizing Hunger Action Month. Each year, this campaign serves as a reminder of our collective impact and the vital work that food banks, like ours, undertake every day with the support of donors like you. It’s an opportunity to raise our voices, to advocate louder, and to inform and empower those around us to join our fight against hunger. At the same time, it’s a reminder that our work is far from done.
In the spirit of this vital work, I’m happy to share that we just wrapped our second Community Partnerships Day on October 11, an opportunity to bring our more than 350 partners together to share best practices, raise concerns, solve problems, and learn with, and from one another.
Our continued 40th anniversary celebration reminds us of the critical role our organization has played in bringing people together, responding to communities in need, and equipping more individuals and families throughout our region with lasting solutions to break the cycle of food insecurity. As we look ahead, we are excited to pursue new partnerships and initiatives that are in the best interest of our community, reinforcing our belief that, much like health care, “food is medicine.”
Now, as we enter the holiday season and the winter months ahead, your support continues to fuel our work to nourish our communities.
With partners like you, we are looking to the future with hope, confidence, and a renewed sense of purpose.
On behalf of countless grateful neighbors, I thank you.
Yours in service,
Loree D. Jones Brown Chief Executive Officer
Board of Directors
BOARD CHAIR
Dixie James
VICE CHAIR
BJ Clark
Noel Eisenstat
John Hollway
TREASURER
Elizabeth Ireland
SECRETARY
Niki Hawkins
MEMBERS
Bassam Awadalla
Mayra Bergman
Scott Jackson
Pam Rainey Lawler
David Leone
Adele Lindenmeyr, PhD
Marisa Magnatta
Cheryl Martin
David Miller
Desiree Murphy Morrissey
Aleni Pappas
Todd Peterson
Martin Phillips
Milton Pratt, Jr.
Estelle Richman
John Ruane
Nyeema Watson, PhD
Angela Wurster
TRUSTEE
Alan Casnoff
Justice for the Hungry
Our Justice for the Hungry campaign is a vital initiative uniting the legal community. An effort created to tackle the rising hunger rates in our region. Participating law firms engaged in corporate donations, food drives, individual fundraising, and volunteering. The campaign aimed to drive meaningful change by gathering resources and raising awareness around food insecurity. This year, the campaign faced an additional challenge with the increased cost of food and fuel, impacting both individuals in need and the organizations working to help them.
Sincere thanks to the efforts of 11 participating firms listed below as we’ve raised a total of $58,679.29 and collected 3,264 pounds of food:
Morgan Lewis
Faegre Drinker
Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld
Hogan Lovells
Post & Schell
Blank Rome
McCarter & English
ChIPs- Philadelphia Chapter
Horn Williamson
Margolis Edelstein
Weir Greenblatt Pierce
Join the 2025 Justice For The Hungry Campaign and be part of a collective effort to reduce hunger in our communities. Contact us at JFTH@philabundance.org for more information!
Special thanks to the members of our JFTH Steering Committee — we couldn’t have done this without each of you: David Antzis, Su Jin Kim, Rosetta Packer, and Vincent Sawyer!tquidunti
WMMR’s Preston & Steve’s 27th Annual Camp Out for Hunger
December 2-6 @ Xfinity Live! Lot inside the Wells Fargo Center Complex
Preston & Steve will once again be “camping out” for hunger, bringing their unique brand of fun to you live from the parking lot of Xfinity Live! inside the Wells Fargo Center complex. The week-long live broadcast blitz and food drive, which kicks off Monday, December 2nd, will feature local and national celebrities, TV personalities, star athletes, sensational bands, and many other dedicated hunger heroes who come together each year to support this cause. Camp Out for Hunger is an open event for everyone, and we invite you to be a part of this vital effort to support our community. Visitors are encouraged to bring canned goods and other non-perishables to help us feed our neighbors in need.
In 2023, Camp Out for Hunger raised over 1.7 million pounds of food and more than $948,000 to further support our neighbors facing hunger.
A Milestone Moment for Philabundance Community Kitchen
Philabundance Community Kitchen (PCK) is proudly celebrating the graduation of its 100th class, marking an incredible milestone of transforming lives through food, culinary training, and community support.
Since 2000, PCK has empowered a diverse community of adults, aged 18 and up, who have low or no income and are passionate about culinary careers. This 16-week program offers comprehensive training, support, and practical experience, leading to increased employability and renewed hope.
As we celebrate this significant achievement, we reflect on PCK’s inspiring journey — from its inception to its current achievements — and look ahead to its promising future.
How it Started
Philabundance Community Kitchen was born from the vision of Melanie Cataldi while she was completing her master’s thesis at Temple University. Inspired by the success of the DC Central Kitchen, which used excess food to feed those in need and provide job training, Cataldi dreamed of creating a similar program in Philadelphia. PCK’s humble beginnings were in a small, shared kitchen on the grounds of Southern Home Services. With just one and a half employees, the program initially focused on providing essential job training and producing food for the community.
By 2004, the program had grown significantly, prompting a move to a larger kitchen. PCK secured a contract with the city of Philadelphia to provide food services at the Woodstock Family Shelter and emergency food for the city. The program now required two dedicated teams: one for training and education, and another for meal production. Many graduates of the program became the first hires for these roles. By 2015-2016, the program’s student cohort sizes had grown to 30-35 students per session, reflecting its increasing impact.
In 2016, recognizing gaps in the food distribution system, PCK embarked on an ambitious project to nearly double its capacity and address food insecurity more effectively. This led to the construction of a new, nearly 19,000 square-foot facility, funded by city and state grants, along with donations from generous supporters. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, PCK opened its new building in August 2020 and quickly adapted to safety protocols to continue serving the community.
Today, PCK is returning to pre-pandemic class sizes, aiming for 25-30 students per session and operating five sessions annually, continuing its mission of transforming lives through culinary training and community support.
Life Skills, not just Knife Skills
PCK students receive comprehensive training that includes both classroom instruction and hands-on experience in a professional kitchen. The program covers essential culinary skills such as food preparation, meal planning, and kitchen safety, as well as job readiness and life skills. Upon completion, graduates are equipped with the skills and confidence needed to secure employment in the food service industry.
Program Manager Candace Matthews-Bass, joined PCK in 2000, bringing her passion for helping people prepare for the workforce to the team. For almost 25 years, she has supported a diverse mix of students, from various ages, backgrounds, and languages, all united by a common goal: to build a brighter future.
“There’s a definite posture that the successful students in these programs have around change and transformation,” Matthews-Bass said. “They understand that they’re part of a bigger picture, and that they are the link between success for themselves and their families.”
Programs like PCK advance Philabundance’s mission of ending hunger for good by addressing its root causes. The goal is to increase employability so participants can support themselves and their families financially, ultimately decreasing the need for emergency food.
While PCK equips graduates with the practical skills needed to secure employment in the food service industry, its impact extends far deeper.
“We often don’t account for the transformation this has on a human soul, or what it does for a person’s confidence, a person’s perception of themselves,” Matthews-Bass said. “We’re able to help people rebuild their sense of self.”
There’s a definite posture that the successful students in these programs have around change and transformation
— Candace Matthews-Bass
One Thousand Stories of Hope
Candace Matthews-Bass reflects on one of her favorite milestones: the graduation of PCK’s 1,000th student — “There are people who might argue one thousand is not a big number. But it’s not just one thousand lives, right? By serving adults in a household you have the opportunity to transform the whole household. When a mom graduates the program, the whole family graduates with her and the community gets behind her and gets excited about the things that she’s now able to do. So, then the family and the whole community have hope. And so when I think from that perspective, there are a thousand stories of hope that have evolved out of this program.”
Around Town with Philabundance
Volunteer Appreciation Repack Night
APRIL 19, PHILABUNDANCE SOUTH PHILADELPHIA HUNGER RELIEF CENTER :
In April, we celebrated National Volunteer Week with special shifts and a night to honor our volunteers that dedicated over 50 hours last year.
Phans Feeding Families
JUNE 29, CITIZENS
We teamed up with the Phillies again to raise funds and awareness around hunger. Great job by Blanca Rodriguez with the first pitch!
BANK PARK:
SEPTEMBER 18, CITIZENS BANK PARK: Team Toyota of Langhorne and Toyota North America helped us ‘Haul Away Hunger’ with 85 Tundra trucks delivering over 345,000 pounds of food.
JULY 31, PHILABUNDANCE COMMUNITY KITCHEN: The 4th annual Top Guac competition ‘pitted’ chefs from our Community Kitchen, GIANT, and other PHLB friends to see who had the best avocado recipe.
Top Guac Competition
SEPTEMBER 17, PHILABUNDANCE COMMUNITY KITCHEN: Chef Jose Garces and the Garces Foundation joined PCK staff for a kitchen tour and discussion around our workforce development program.
Jose Garces Visit
Toyota’s 15th Annual Tundra Food Drive
AUGUST 12, INDIAN VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB: Leidy’s 2024 charity golf outing graciously benefitted Philabundance, raising $20,000 to support our neighbors facing hunger.
Leidy’s Fancy Pants Charity Golf Outing
Philabundance Partners with the Wawa Foundation
Philabundance kicks off healthy snack program with $200,000 Fly Beyond Key Issue Grant from the Wawa Foundation
Philabundance is excited to announce the receipt of a generous $200,000 Fly Beyond Key Issue grant from the Wawa Foundation, which will relaunch our Kids’ Snack Program with a focus on healthy grab-and-go options. Partnering with 52 community partners, the program will serve up to 2,000 children each month in the coming school year.
The snacks will be prepared in the Philabundance Community Kitchen and will include fresh items such as hummus and vegetables, along with shelfstable options like whole-grain granola bars and applesauce. This initiative responds directly to the requests from schools and community partners for nutritious snack options, ensuring that children have access to healthier food choices.
By providing well-balanced snacks, we help partner agencies ensure kids receive the nutrition they need on the go. By supplementing school-provided breakfast and lunch programs, healthy snacks keep bellies full and support children’s overall well-being. Freshly prepared items like fruits and vegetables offer essential nutrients for physical health and cognitive development. Grab-and-go shelf-stable options provide convenient, long-lasting nourishment, ensuring children have access to healthy food throughout the day.
“The support we receive through grants like Fly Beyond is critical to helping us meet the increased need in our area,” says CEO Loree D. Jones Brown.
“The reality is that one in six children in our service area is food insecure, and sadly, that number has continued to increase since the pandemic. Through the Wawa Foundation’s support, we’re able to provide more for these children and do it in a way that keeps their health and overall well-being a top priority.”
Philabundance’s mission to relieve hunger now and end hunger for good reflects Wawa’s own purpose of fulfilling lives and strengthening communities. We share the Wawa Foundation’s commitment to reducing hunger in our communities, especially among those who are most vulnerable to food insecurity. Partnerships with community-oriented companies like Wawa help catalyze impact for the people we serve by increasing our capacity to provide healthy food and other essential services, resulting in healthier, more joyful families and households. Furthermore, through funding, thought partnership and volunteerism, organizations and companies who share our commitment to reducing hunger and uplifting our communities can make meaningful change in the areas where their employees live, work, and play.
The Wawa Foundation board of directors held a meeting at the Philabundance Community Kitchen on July 30th to present their donation, tour the facilities, and sample the healthy snacks that will be prepared for children in the community.
Staff from Philabundance and the Wawa Foundation celebrate Wawa’s 80,000th hoagie donated to Philabundance during Wawa Hoagie Day 2024.
Hunger Action Month
In September, Philabundance led impactful initiatives for Hunger Action Month, a time of action, connection, and recognition in our fight against hunger. The month began with a press conference alongside Philadelphia City Councilmembers and partners sponsored by GIANT to spotlight the urgent need to end food insecurity, a reality faced by over 47 million people, including 14 million children, in 2023—a 6% increase from last year. We highlighted the often-silent struggle of hunger faced by students through features on college pantry programs, launched our first-ever After School Special volunteer shift for students 12+, and celebrated our volunteer Hunger Heroes. The month concluded with an official proclamation from City Council, sponsored by Philadelphia Councilman Nicolas O’Rourke, declaring September as Hunger Action Month and honoring Philabundance’s 40 years of commitment to a hunger-free future.
Philabundance Legacy Society
Help ensure our future for the next 40 years.
Since 1984, Philabundance has grown, adapted, and responded to help our neighbors in need, thanks to our generous and caring community of donors. You can support our work today, and beyond, by including Philabundance in your estate as part of the Philabundance Legacy Society.
Visit philabundance.mylegacygift.org/ to learn how you can establish a legacy of fighting hunger, today. Questions? Contact our development office at giving@philabundance.org or 215-339-0900.
Our first After School Special volunteer opportunity for students 12+ brought together passionate volunteers dedicated to fighting hunger in our community!
(from left) Citizens CEO, Bruce Van Saun and President, Daniel K. Fitzpatrick visited PCK to volunteer before heading to the New York Stock Exchange to celebrate their 10 year IPO anniversary! Thank you for making time to celebrate Hunger Action Month with us!
