2010 Survey of Food Pantries and Soup Kitchens in Philadelphia

2010 Survey of Food Pantries and
Soup Kitchens in Philadelphia
1725 Fairmount Avenue, Unit 102, Philadelphia, PA 19130
Main Office: 215-769-0659, Food Stamp (SNAP) Hotline: 215-430-0556
Executive Summary
Every year, the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger conducts a survey
of food pantries and soup kitchens to assess the needs of Philadelphia’s feeding
programs. From the fall of 2010 to the spring of 2011, the Coalition completed
124 surveys of programs that provide food to low-income residents in
neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia.
Most food pantries and soup kitchens are small, faith-based programs run by
volunteers, often seniors with limited resources of their own. Last year, nearly
half (43%) of Philadelphia’s food pantries and soup kitchens did not have enough
food to meet the need in their communities. As a result, 26% of those programs
were forced to turn people away because they ran out of food to give them.
At least 411,075 residents in Philadelphia received food from a food pantry in
2010, a 30% increase from the year prior, according to the SHARE Food
Program. More than a third of those residents were children. Another 10% were
seniors. This dramatic rise in need took place even as Philadelphia showed signs
of emerging from the economic recession that began in December 2007.
Moreover, funding for the State Food Purchase Program, which enables counties
to buy and distribute food to local food pantries, has not kept up with increased
demand. In fact, since the recession began in 2007, Governor Rendell and
Pennsylvania lawmakers have slashed the SFPP budget by nearly $1.25 million,
from $18.75 million in FY 2007 to $17.5 million in FY 2011, dramatically reducing
the amount of food available to needy residents.
The Coalition’s 2010 survey found:
Increased Need Across Demographic Groups:
Need for food surged in 2010, especially among certain vulnerable populations,
including children and seniors.
• 56% of food pantries and soup kitchens served more children in 2010 than
in the previous year. That’s considering that the Coalition’s 2009 survey
found that 54% of programs were already serving more children than in
the year before.
• 54% of programs served more elderly clients in 2010. In 2009, 46% of
programs reported serving more seniors than in the year prior.
• 27% of programs reported an increase in the number of clients who were
employed.
Learn more at www.hungercoalition.org.

Insufficient Resources and Personal Sacrifices:
Nearly half (43%) of programs did not have enough food to meet demand.
• 26% of food pantries and soup kitchens turned people away because they
did not have enough food to give them.
• 43% had to cut back on the amount of food they distributed per client.
• 76% of food pantry and soup kitchen coordinators responded that they
spend their personal money on the programs they run.
Concern about Clients’ Health and Nutrition:
More food pantries and soup kitchens (83%) want to improve the nutritional
quality of the food they serve. When asked how best to accomplish that goal:
• 70% said their program would need more fruits and vegetables.
• 63% wanted more nutritious canned and dried food.
• 42% wanted nutrition education for their clients.
• 37% wanted nutrition education for their staff and volunteers.
Increased Willingness to Work Together:
More than half (52%) of programs either know of or work with other feeding
programs in their area. That’s up from just 31% of programs in 2009, when the
Coalition founded the Victory in Partnership (VIP) Project to network food
pantries and soup kitchens within their communities.
Learn more at www.hungercoalition.org.