MANAYUNK

Submitted by Karen Smith, Marketing & Communications, North Light Community Center

The food cupboard at North Light Community Center is open on Mondays and Fridays from 1 PM to 3 PM to accommodate the donation of produce, dairy and baked goods from the Whole Foods Market in Plymouth Meeting.

Whole Foods market is just one of the local chains of grocery stores giving back to the community through the Philabundance program “Grocers Against Hunger”. Because of strict guidelines, stores often need to discard items even though they are nutritious and completely safe to eat. Philabundance works with participating stores to procure these otherwise expensive and difficult to obtain items such as meat, dairy, produce and baked goods— enabling low-income residents throughout the neighborhood to prepare well-balanced nutritious meals for themselves and their families. The program also exemplifies green business practices by redistributing products that would unnecessarily become waste.

North Light offers a variety of social support services to families in the neighborhood. The food cupboard is one of the most valuable and has seen a significant rise in usage. Over the past three years, North Light's food pantry participants went up 64% and the amount of food distributed went up two-and-a-half times! North Light was chosen as a 2011 Philabundance Favored Food Cupboard, which places it in the top 12% of best practices household provisioning programs in the region.

The program is sustained by contributions of cash and grocery items coming from local churches, schools, universities, organizations and individuals along with a grant from the ShopRite on Ridge Avenue in Roxborough “Partners in Caring” program, allowing North Light to utilize the Philadelphia Food Bank. If you or your group would like to make a donation to the food cupboard or if you need assistance with food, please call North Light at 215-483-4800 and speak to Steve at ext. 103.