The Road to Success: 12 Years of Fighting Hunger
Coalition Against Hunger
2901 W. Hunting Park Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19129
Phone: 215-430-0555
Fax: 215-223-3073
E-mail: info@hungercoalition.org
Food Stamp Hotline: 215-430-0556
What follows is a timeline highlighting what the Coalition has achieved over the past twelve years and how the support of its partners has laid the foundation for its successful education, outreach, and advocacy work today.
1996
Anti-hunger partners founded the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger. The Coalition's first home is the Greater Philadelphia Food Bank.
1997
The Coalition begins to hold First Tuesday monthly roundtable meetings for community-based food providers, and leadership grows within these organizations.
The Coalition creates its newsletter, Feedback.
1998
The Coalition moves to the Farmers Market Trust (now The Food Trust).
The support of the Food Trust and several area funders provide the Coalition with seed money to professionalize the Walk Against Hunger. Nutritional Development Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia develops the entire "recruitment" side of the Walk, inviting community organizations, faith-based institutions, students and others to participate. The Pro-Bono Committee for the Public Relations Society of America, Philadelphia Chapter, provides all PR assistance, a tradition that continues through 2003.
2000
The Coalition moves to its current location at the SHARE Food Program, and hires a second staff person.
At the request of Coalition partners, Philadelphia Health Management Corporation (PHMC) adds two food security questions to its Household Health Survey, thus allowing the Coalition to track local hunger and food insecurity in our area.
2001
The Pennsylvania Hunger Action Center grants the Coalition a subcontract to begin food stamp outreach in Philadelphia.
Sovereign Bank becomes the Title Sponsor of the Walk.
The Coalition hires its first Advocacy Coordinator and launches the faith-based Bring Food; Work for Justice campaign.
The Presbytery of Philadelphia sponsors the Coalition's first Americorps VISTA.
2002
The USDA awards one of nineteen nationwide two-year food stamp outreach grants to the Coalition, allowing another staff expansion. A major partner is the Fox Leadership Program at the University of Pennsylvania .
The Coalition publishes the Nourish Your Sole Community Cookbook and produces a CD, A Children’s Song. Both the cookbook and the CD offer unique fundraising opportunities for community-based food providers.
2003
FCF Schmidt Public Relations and Fleming & VanMetre Advertising adopt the Coalition for a year and provide pro bono public relations and advertising expertise for the Walk Against Hunger, the Food Stamp Enrollment Campaign, and the Coalition.
AC Moore, Inc. becomes Title Sponsor of the Walk Against Hunger, and continues that partnership for four years. Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church becomes a major sponsor of the Walk Against Hunger beginning a partnership that continues to grow to this day.
The Coalition institutes the Food Stamp Screening and Application Assistance Hotline (215-430-0556), and begins a SEPTA transit advertising campaign to publicize its new hotline.
SHARE provides two additional Americorps VISTA volunteers for the Coalition and continues to support the Coalition in numerous ways.
2004
Philadelphia's World Food Day Celebration moves from a Saturday to a Friday to be more inclusive of all in the community fighting hunger. At the event, the staff of Philadelphia Congressman Brady presents one of 25 nationwide Congressional Hunger Awards to the Coalition for its food stamp work.
The Coalition hires a community organizer to further its Building Bridges project with the Philadelphia County Assistance Office to increase food stamp participation.
2005
The Coalition makes a major decision to raise private funds to continue its Food Stamp Enrollment and Application Assistance Campaign despite the ending of the USDA grant in 2004.
2006
In 2006 the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger, and its annual hunger awareness fundraiser, the Walk Against Hunger, celebrated its tenth anniversary. Throughout the year, the Coalition celebrated its history through events, special projects, and publicity, recognizing the many partners that have made it what it is today. The year was an opportunity to look back at how the Coalition grew from an idea -- that Philadelphians at risk of hunger needed a voice -- to a strong force in the region's anti-hunger community.
In celebration of the Coalition's 10th anniversary, the Coalition issues a Food Stamp Challenge to the community encouraging ordinary citizens, civic leaders and journalists to learn about the physical, emotional, and social difficulties of food insecurity and hunger by living on a food stamp budget for just one week.
The Coalition hires a Food Stamp Enrollment Campaign Director with the support of the William Penn Foundation.
2007
After more than eleven years of dedicated service, founding Director Karen Wilson retires from her position at the Coalition. Carey Morgan succeeds her in this role.
2008
The Coalition ventures into new territory by hosting a reception and silent auction at YUMMY, an art exhibit on food and culture housed at Nexus/Foundation for Today’s Art.