SEPTA Employees and Customers Mark 10 Years of Fighting Hunger
June 13, 2018
SEPTA employees and customers will once again partner to drive hunger out of our communities in the Greater Philadelphia region during the Authority’s 10th annual “Stop Hunger at Your Station” food drive from June 18-22.
Since 2009, the Authority’s employees and riders have demonstrated their compassion toward their neighbors in need by teaming up with Philabundance and its members agencies to fight hunger during SEPTA’s annual “Stop Hunger at Your Station” food drive.
"Every year, our staff and customers have come through to provide meals — almost 280,000 in fact — for those in need across our service region,” said SEPTA General Manager Jeffrey D. Knueppel. “It is amazing that each year for the past nine food drives,we have surpassed the previous year’s collection total.”
Summer is an especially important time for food banks. When school is out, students no longer receive the free and reduced-cost meals they are given during the academic year. Many of these children will go without the nutritious food they need to grow and flourish.
“While kids are out of school for the summer, hunger doesn’t take a vacation,” said Glenn Bergman, Executive Director of Philabundance. “Nearly 400,000 of the youngest members of our community rely on school meals, making summer a challenging time to keep hunger at bay. This key partnership helps keep children’s bellies full, and provides them the nutrients they need to return to school in the fall ready to learn.”
Philabundance provides food to approximately 90,000 people per week in nine counties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey through its own food distribution programs, as well as through 350 member agencies such as food cupboards, shelters and emergency kitchens. Of the low-income area residents served by the organization, 16 percent are senior citizens and 30 percent are children.
From June 18-22, SEPTA will collect donations of canned goods in marked barrels at 43 designated stations throughout the transit system. CCT customers wishing to participate will be able to give their canned good contributions to their vehicle operator.
In 2017, SEPTA customers and employees contributed almost the equivalent of almost 35,000 meals for Philabundance and its member agencies. Since 2009, SEPTA customers and employees have donated almost 280,000 meals.
The community can participate in the 2018 drive by contributing the following items:
🐟 Canned/ Shelf-stable tuna
🍝 Canned Pasta
🥘 Canned Beef Stew
🍲 Canned Chili
🍜 Canned Soup
🥄 Cereal & Oatmeal
🥜 Creamy Peanut Butter (plastic containers only, please)
🍇 Jelly (plastic containers only, please)
🥒 Canned Green Beans
🌽 Canned Corn
🍑 Canned Fruit
The public can also help feed neighbors in need by making a donation to Philabundance online at www.philabundance.org/septa, or by contributing $10 by texting “Food” to 41010. For every dollar donated, Philabundance can provide two meals. Any monetary contribution will count toward the total collected through the SEPTA 2018 campaign.
Philabundance is the Greater Philadelphia region’s largest hunger-relief organization. In fiscal year 2017, Philabundance distributed approximately 25 million pounds of food across the Delaware Valley.
If you know someone in need of food assistance, tell them to call 1-800-5-Hungry. For any other questions about Philabundance, visit www.philabundance.org.
