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Grassroots Organizing

First Tuesdays

On the first Tuesday of each month, representatives of Philadelphia's emergency feeding programs gather over a simple lunch at 111 S. 38th Street (home of Nutritional Development Services) to learn about approaches that work best and resources that can help those in need become more self-sufficient.

Some of these representatives have been feeding their community's hungry for nearly twenty years. Often these programs started as a temporary response to what was believed to be an emergency—a short-term economic downturn that led to job loss and financial hardship. Rarely did the volunteers who collect and distribute canned goods or gather to cook a weekly hot meal imagine that such acute need was here to stay. The emergency just never ended and today these feeding programs are entrenched in many a neighborhood’s infrastructure.

First Tuesdays provide the opportunity for these impassioned soldiers in the fight against hunger to share information on tried and true practices and on new approaches. Several times throughout the year, the Coalition polls participants to assess their need for information or training on emerging issues. This assessment shapes the roster of topics for the coming months.

We invite guest speakers and arrange for special programs to help build skills and knowledge. Recent topics have included "How to Telephone Your Congressman," "How to Get the News Media to Publicize Your Program," "Conflict Resolution," and "Basic Grant Writing."

Review the 2007-2008 First Tuesdays Schedule (PDF)