Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 

Taking the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before the people; and He divided the two fish among them all.  And all were filled…(Mark 6:39).”

 “And all were filled…” What a vision of the gospel truth!  Jesus never let anyone leave his presence hungry – even when it took a miracle to feed the thousands!  There are close to 500 food pantries and 200 soup kitchens in Philadelphia.  Each of these feeding programs, large and small, is working toward a city without hunger, a city where all people have a secure source for tasty, nutritious food.   These ministries overflow with compassion.   These ministries are also overflowing with need.    

At the Coalition Against Hunger, we believe that every person has a right to good nutritious food, and a right to choose what foods to purchase and prepare.  The Food Stamp Program is our nation’s number one defense against hunger, and Food Stamp benefits can edge families closer to a table without emergency food.  Sadly, participation in the Food Stamp Program has dropped by over thirty percent since 1996.  That translates to over 90,000 income-eligible hungry Philadelphians who are not getting Food Stamps.    In an effort to reverse this trend, the Coalition Against Hunger has launched a Food Stamp Enrollment Campaign.   

This Campaign aims to recruit and train faith-based volunteers and college students to serve as Food Stamp pre-screeners at various locations throughout Philadelphia.  Many of the volunteers being trained are already involved in the food ministries of their local congregations.  They are seeking to offer another resource to the sisters and brothers whom they serve – a resource that will help move them toward self-sufficiency and a table without emergency food.  We are also recruiting volunteers from suburban faith communities that do not have direct feeding ministries.  Many of these groups routinely engage in canned food drives, but through the Campaign, they will have the opportunity to come into the city and begin to attach a human face to hunger.   

Our hope for this campaign is two-fold.  First we hope to reverse the downward trend in Food Stamp enrollment by canvassing the city and proactively leading the way to break down barriers to Food Stamp enrollment.  Second, we hope to engage faith-based communities in the fight against hunger by exposing their members to the face of hunger and empowering them to deepen ministries of compassion with a vision for justice.   

Jesus taught those who follow him to pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God.  Our prayer is to empower people of faith to be a part of that In-breaking Kingdom now.  We are called to feed the hungry.  We are also called to work toward a more just society for all of God’s children. 

-- Written by Katherine C. Rick-Miller

Contact point:

Katherine C. Rick-Miller, M. Div., Faith-based Volunteer Coordinator
Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger
2901 W. Hunting Park Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19129
Phone: (215) 430-0555
E-mail: Krick-Miller@hungercoalition.org
Website: www.hungercoalition.org