SEPTA’s generous customers and employees have come through once again for their neighbors in need. Almost 16,500 pounds of food – or 16,500 meals for Philabundance and its member agencies – were collected during the authority’s two-week “Stop Hunger at Your Station” food drive. Monetary gifts of over $9,200 received during the food drive provide an additional 18,460 meals for individuals and families served by Philabundance and its partner social service agencies. This year’s food drive helped support Philabundance’s programs, supplying meals for thousands of children in the Delaware Valley who miss free and reduced-cost breakfasts and lunches when the school year ends.
Since 2009, SEPTA customers and employees have donated almost 156,000 pounds of food. With monetary contributions of approximately $62,200, SEPTA customers and employees have given the equivalent of almost 280,000 meals over the course of the drive’s nine-year history.
“We cannot thank our passengers and employees enough for their continued support of the ‘Stop Hunger at Your Station’ food drive,” said SEPTA General Manager Jeffrey Knueppel. The donations Philabundance receives from our food drive will make a difference to thousands of Delaware Valley residents, especially children.”
During the food drive, held June 12-23, SEPTA collected donations of canned goods at 43 designated stations throughout the transit system. A specially wrapped “Stop Hunger at Your Station” SEPTA bus toured the region throughout the food drive, collecting items such as peanut butter, jelly, canned pasta and tuna.
“Philabundance is truly grateful to SEPTA and its riders for donations made through its ‘Stop Hunger at Your Station’ food drive. It is especially helpful this time of year when more than 300,000 children are on summer vacation and lose their school meals,” said Glenn Bergman, Executive Director of Philabundance. “The food and monetary donations will provide 35,000 needed meals for neighbors struggling to make ends meet this summer and year-round.”
Philabundance is the Delaware Valley’s largest hunger-relief organization, serving 90,000 people per week in nine counties in PA and NJ, 30 percent of whom are children and 15 percent of whom are seniors. In 2016, Philabundance distributed approximately 24 million pounds of food through direct food distributions and 350 social service agencies.
If you know someone in need of food assistance, tell them to call 1-866-3-HUNGRY. For any other questions about Philabundance, visit http://www.philabundance.org.