If you’ve lived in the Philadelphia area in the last 40 years — you know Philabundance.
Under the vision of founder Pam Lawler , the organization works to address hunger by providing food surplus to those in need.
However, recent cuts to critical funding that assist food banks are affecting the United States Department of Agricultural, which includes a reported $525,000 cancelled order to Philabundance. The removal of The Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) funding equates to an 18% reduction in Philabundance’s current budget to obtain food. In addition, cuts to the The Emergency Food Assistance Program accounts for a loss of $525,000, which was announced in March.
Today , Philabundance provides food to an estimated 90,000 people weekly across nine Delaware Valley counties. In 2005, Philabundance joined the Greater Philadelphia Food Bank and is a part of Feeding America.
But with crippling cuts to funding, food banks nationwide are struggling to fill the increasing urgent need to help those experiencing food insecurity.
For information about how to help Philabundance — either with donations or through volunteer work — visit philabundance.org.
Michael Thomas Leibrandt is member of the York Road Historical Society and lives and works in Abington Township.
