October 30, 2008

Philabundance Appeals to Delaware Valley Community to Help Feed Hungry This Holiday Season

Annual Holiday Food Drive And Turkey Round-Up To Benefit Neighbors In Need

PHILADELPHIA -- Oct. 30, 2008 -- Philabundance is gearing up for the holiday season, a time typically marked by celebrations of abundance, thanksgiving and joy and ironically… greater need for individuals and families struggling to make ends meet in this difficult economy as food costs continue to rise and temperatures drop.

Philabundance, the region’s largest hunger relief organization, is appealing to the generosity of the Delaware Valley community to help neighbors in need this holiday season by participating in the annual Thanksgiving Turkey Round-up on Nov. 15, organizing a Holiday Food or Fund Drive, or by making a food or monetary donation to help see the more than 900,000 individuals in need through the holidays and beyond.

In order to provide nutritious holiday dinners, Philabundance has a goal to round up 4000 turkeys and collect enough non-perishable provisions to make up complete meals through organized Food Drives and donations. Individuals and organizations can either make a donation toward the purchase of protein-rich turkeys or bring frozen turkeys with the receipt to one of four drop-off sites in the Delaware Valley on Saturday, Nov. 15. Philabundance appreciates the turkey donations, but also needs financial support to meet the overwhelming need for holiday meals and food for the community.

“The current day economic crisis and rise in food and fuel costs have meant that an increasing number of people have been seeking food aid from our network of agencies in the Delaware Valley,” says Bill Clark, Philabundance’s president and executive director. “In order to meet our current needs and prepare for the upcoming holiday and winter season, we’re appealing to individuals and companies to help us meet these challenging times head on and ensure that nobody goes hungry.”

Food Drives help round out holiday meals by providing the necessary fixings for a complete dinner for families served through Philabundance’s network of close to 600 agencies. Philabundance is appealing to individuals and organizations to concentrate on specific non-perishable provisions that make up a traditional and complete holiday dinner, such as pumpkin pie mix, sweet potatoes or yams, cranberry sauce, Mandarin oranges, seasoned stuffing mix, green beans and turkey gravy; Philabundance has created a checklist of items needed.

Philabundance encourages people to make a donation or visit a designated Turkey Round-up site at Acme locations in Bala Cynwyd, Westtown, Pa., and Voorhees, N.J, plus Philabundance’s headquarters in South Philadelphia. The turkeys must be frozen when dropped off and accompanied by the receipt, to guarantee freshness.

For information on Food Drives or the Turkey Round-up and drop off sites, contact Philabundance’s at 215-339-0900.