Issue: State Food Purchase Program
This program provides food to food pantries, soup kitchens and other emergency programs. Lawmakers must increase its funding to keep up with growing need.
What is it?
Pennsylvania’s State Food Purchase Program (SFPP) provides cash grants to lead agencies in each county so they can buy food in bulk. The program is funded by a line item in the state budget. Food purchased with state money is distributed to food pantries, soup kitchens and other charitable food programs throughout the state.
Pennsylvania residents must be at or below 150% of the federal poverty level to receive food from the program.
Who Does it Affect?
More than 2.8 million low-income Pennsylvania residents received food through SFFP in 2008. In Philadelphia alone, the number of people relying on food pantries has more than doubled over the past five years. More than one-third of them are children:
No. Philadelphia Residents Receiving Food Through SFPP
| Fiscal Year | Children | Adults | Seniors | Total |
| 2003-2004 | 54,073 | 63,174 | 13,384 | 130,631 |
| 2004-2005 | 61,462 | 68,426 | 24,244 | 154,132 |
| 2005-2006 | 65,764 | 73,218 | 24,941 | 163,923 |
| 2006-2007 | 71,606 | 78,966 | 30,348 | 180,920 |
| 2007-2008 | 88,765 | 97,128 | 37,328 | 223,221 |
| 2008-2009 | 120,084 | 159,084 | 37,693 | 316,861 |
Funding for the State Food Purchase Program has not kept up with soaring demand. In fact, in 2007, Gov. Ed Rendell cut the SFPP budget by nearly a quarter-million dollars to $18 million, drastically reducing the amount of food available to people in need.
In the 2010-2011 state budget, lawmakers cuts an additional $148,000 from the State Food Purchase Program.
How Can You Help?
The Coalition Against Hunger is working with lead agencies and other anti-hunger advocates across the state on this important issue. Sign up for our eNewsletter to stay up to date on our SFPP advocacy efforts.
Contact your state legislators and urge them to support additional funding for the State Food Purchase Program.