The Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger traces its roots to the late 1970s, when several local anti-hunger organizations started working together to combat hunger in the region. This loosely knit group created some of the anti-hunger institutions that continue to fight hunger in Southeastern Pennsylvania today, including the SHARE Food Program and Philabundance.

In the mid-1990s, amid startlingly high rates of hunger and poverty in Philadelphia, these anti-hunger advocates recognized the need to form a unified front on issues affecting the city's most vulnerable residents. In 1996, they formally established the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger to advocate on hunger at the local, state and federal levels.

In addition to our advocacy work, the Coalition Against Hunger supports the food pantries and soup kitchens that form vital safety nets in our communities through our Hunger Fighters Network. Our annual Walk Against Hunger helps these programs raise funds to buy food, equipment and other items necessary to serve their clients. Our monthly First Tuesday workshops offer food pantry coordinators the opportunity to network and gain information to help them run their programs.

The Coalition’s latest Hunger Fighters initiative, the Victory in Partnership (VIP) Project, continues to provide more resources to food pantries through new tools and technology. Funded by the William Penn Foundation and Stroehmann Bakeries’ Nourishing Neighbors, the VIP Project has established regional networks of food pantries throughout the city, enabling them to work together to fight hunger in their communities.

While our Hunger Fighters Network helps food pantries fill an immediate need for food in Philadelphia, our Food Stamp Campaign connects low-income residents with short-term assistance. The Coalition launched the Food Stamp Campaign in 2002, with funding from the USDA. Coalition staff and volunteers conduct screenings and application assistance at community sites and over the phone, through our Food Stamp Hotline (215-430-0556).

The Food Stamp Campaign has also identified barriers to enrollment in the Food Stamp Program (now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP). As a result of those findings, the Coalition has worked with the state and county Department of Public Welfare to address those obstacles. Since 2002, our staff and volunteers have assisted nearly 40,000 families and continue to screen more than 7,000 residents for SNAP benefits every year.

Today, the Coalition Against Hunger is unique in its dedication to both grassroots and advocacy efforts. Our direct work with SNAP applicants and food pantries throughout Philadelphia informs our positions on local, state and federal policies related to food and nutrition.

We know that there is no one solution to ending hunger in Philadelphia. Through our three programs, the Coalition addresses a spectrum of needs throughout the region.