Press Release: Share Food Program Joins Allies in Harrisburg to Combat Food Insecurity

HARRISBURG – April 11, 2024 – This week at the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg, Share Food Program joined the PA Hunger Action Coalition (PHAC) and other nonprofits, organizations, and policymakers to tackle food insecurity in Pennsylvania. 

According to the U.S. Dept. of Labor, food costs have risen 27% in the last five years. Inflation, coupled with the end of several pandemic-era benefits, has pushed more families to charitable food networks. The alarming trend has led Share and dozens of other anti-hunger allies to call on Pennsylvania’s leaders to prioritize policies that combat food insecurity. 

“Right before the pandemic, we weren’t getting very much federal food or donated food coming in at that time. But we were very fortunate because we were able to, in late February 2020, to make a $1.7-million purchase of food to supply to our food pantries. We did that through one program, and one program alone: the State Food Purchase Program,” said George Matysik, executive director of Share Food Program, “Without that program, and the many critical programs we are advocating for here today, we would’ve had a far more serious crisis on our hands in March, April, and May of 2020—when we started to see record numbers of hunger, unlike anything we had ever seen before.”

Share has seen a 98% increase in need since early 2022.

Share, its pantry partners, and PHAC members discussed ways to strengthen food bank networks and increase funding for anti-hunger programs in Pennsylvania. 

Among several recommendations on its Ending Hunger checklist, PHAC outlined the following programs be adequately funded in the 2024-25 budget:

– The State Food Purchase Program (SFPP) provides cash grants for counties to purchase and distribute food to low-income individuals. 

– The Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System (PASS) reimburses farmers for their costs to harvest, package, and process surplus agricultural products, and redirects them to the charitable food system. 

– The Pennsylvania Senior Food Box Program supplements the diets of low-income seniors with nutritious food delivered right to their doors. 

The advocacy event also emphasized the importance of accessible, affordable, and nutritious school meals for all. Currently, Share Food Program is one of the only nonprofits in the country contracted to serve the National School Lunch Program, serving over 300,000 students in the region each day. The importance of school meals cannot be understated, with studies showing that they help to reduce childhood hunger and improve overall health and learning outcomes for students, among other benefits.

“That we are here at all, the fact that food banks exist in the richest country in the history of the world, is a policy failure,” Matysik said. “We shouldn’t need to be up here. We shouldn’t have to do this. Let’s do better, Pennsylvania!”

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About Share Food Program:

Share Food Program is the leading hunger relief organization in the Greater Philadelphia region, working to eradicate food insecurity through food distribution, education, and advocacy. Through partnerships with nearly 800 schools and more than 400 community-based organizations and partner pantries, Share Food Program feeds hundreds of thousands of neighbors in need each month. To learn more and get involved, visit www.sharefoodprogram.org, or follow us on Facebook @sharefood and Twitter and Instagram @sharefoodphilly.