Thanks to supporters like you, the Coalition has helped struggling thousands of families afford the food they need.

In 2011, the Coalition:

#1 Helped nearly 5,000 Philadelphia-area families put food on the table: The Coalition's SNAP (Food Stamp) Hotline helped 4,699 families apply for public benefits, providing them with more than $1.1 million in SNAP benefits to buy groceries. Because every $1 in SNAP benefits generates as much as $1.71 in economic activity, those benefits could inject more than $1.8 million into the local economy.

#2 Raised nearly $250,000 through the Walk + Run Against Hunger: This year marked the 15th anniversary of the Walk+Run Against Hunger. More than 4,000 walkers and runners came together on April 9, 2011, raising close to a quarter-million dollars for more than 100 food pantries, soup kitchens and hunger-relief agencies in Southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey.

#3 Equipped food pantries with trainings and tools to help their clients get back on their feet:  Through the Victory in Partnership (VIP) Project, the Coalition trained dozens of program coordinators on a range of topics to assist their clients, including exercise and heart health; stress management; health insurance and substance abuse.

#4 Mobilized nearly 1,400 concerned citizens to take action on hunger issues: Over the past year, the Coalition has helped Pennsylvanians make their voices heard on state and federal legislation that would affect struggling families, including recent attacks on SNAP and WIC and state budget cuts to social services.

#5 Ensured free school meals for 70,000 low-income children in Philadelphia:  The Coalition helped to protect and expand Philadelphia's universal feeding program, which allows 70,000 low-income students to get free school meals without bureaucratic red tape.  The program is part of the "Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act" signed by President Obama last year, which improves nutritional quality and access to the child nutrition programs across the country.

#6 Helped low-income children find free summer meals: Summer is the hungriest time of year for kids who rely on school meals for the food they can't get at home. The Coalition worked with Mayor Michael Nutter, the Department of Education and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to coordinate a citywide campaign to spread the word about summer meals.

#7 Supplied local food pantries and soup kitchens with needed resources:  With funding from Stroehmann Bakeries, the Coalition provided freezers, refrigerators, shelving, supermarket gift cards, and other equipment to 52 food pantries and soup kitchens in communities throughout Philadelphia. The Coalition also enabled nearly 70 feeding programs to raise funds online through Adopt-A-Pantry.

#8 Created an urban community garden in North Philadelphia: Last summer, the Coalition built a community garden just a few blocks from our office, working with community residents to revitalize a long-neglected neighborhood in North Philadelphia. All the vegetables we harvest—zucchini, collard greens, tomatoes and more—go to local food pantries that help low-income families in the area.

#9 Launched the free workshop series "Healthy Eating on a Budget" for dozens of families in some of Philadelphia's highest-need areas.  Attendees learned quick and easy tips for planning and preparing healthy, affordable and delicious meals.

#10 Put help at client's fingertips: People who need help can simply send a text message from their cell phones to apply for public benefits or find their nearest food pantry, thanks to a new system launched by the Coalition in 2011. Callers can text SNAP to 84700 to have a hotline counselor call them back to apply for benefits or NEEDFOOD to locate their nearest food pantry.

#11 Armed community members with the tools to fight hunger in their own neighborhoods: In 2011, the Coalition launched “Fighting Hunger Block by Block,” which aims to enroll more low-income people in SNAP and connect them with food pantries, farmers’ markets and other programs that can help them afford nutritious food.

With your support, the Coalition can continue to help struggling families put food on the table in the year ahead, so they can afford the food they need as they get back on their feet.