There is no single solution to hunger in the Philadelphia region. That is why it is imperative that government, businesses, nonprofits and the public work together to eradicate hunger in our community.

As this fight continues, there are two main lines of defense against hunger:

Food Stamps (now called SNAP)
More than 400,000 Philadelphia residents now receive food stamps, which are now called SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). SNAP helps low-income people buy groceries, which frees up money to cover other needs, like rent, heat and medicine. However, there are still more than 150,000 Philadelphia residents who qualify for SNAP who do not participate in the program.

The federal government also funds other hunger-relief programs, including WIC (Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children), the National School Lunch Program; the School Breakfast Program, the Summer Food Service Program for Children and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).

Food Pantries and Soup Kitchens
There are at least 700 food pantries and soup kitchens in Philadelphia. Every month, they serve 140,000 meals and distribute more than 4 million pounds of food. Many of these programs receive food through Pennsylvania’s State Food Purchase Program.

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