Philadelphia Pilots New Partnerships to Address the Public Health Issue of Hunger

Though there are a multitude of public health issues, hunger has become an epidemic. As the economy continues to falter, more people are finding themselves in need of food. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a leader in food production and processing, yet far too many Pennsylvanians struggle with hunger. In Philadelphia, it is estimated that more 300,000 people (one in five) live in food-insecure households. An estimated 125,000 households must cut or skip meals every day because they do not have enough money to buy food.

The approaches to dealing with hunger have often been fragmented and disjointed among government, religious community, NGOs, and other charitable organizations. This fragmentation has led to an underestimation of the severity of the problem, and has placed strain on available food resources. Though the overall goal is to ensure safe and healthy food to those in need, the current system has not been successful. Philadelphia has recently begun a collaborative process directed at both food security (adequate supply) and food safety. This new approach incorporates local government, academic institutions, faith –based organizations, and NGOs who intend to reduce hunger through innovative and collaborative work efforts. This group, the Mayor's Task Force on Hunger, has begun to work on the shared goals to: find food for those in need; maximize use of Federal Nutrition programs; increase availability for access to fresh food and produce; and to introduce and strengthen public policy to reduce hunger in Philadelphia.