Every single day, as merchants are busy selling their products to retailers, restaurants, and others throughout the region, a Philabundance truck pulls through the gates and visits the backs of the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market (PWPM), stores in hopes of securing quality food donations.
The driver is very discerning and knows what to look for when selecting produce items for Delaware Valley’s largest hunger relief organization.
In addition, every Friday morning for the past year, a section of the PWPM has been dedicated to Philabundance volunteers gleaning produce that may otherwise end up in the landfill. Since the Market is closed on Saturdays, Friday is an ideal time for the produce rescue.
To date, more than 900,000 pounds of fresh produce has been rescued and goes to the one in five Philadelphia-area families facing hunger.
Another charity visits regularly as well.
“The Little Sisters of the Poor come by every week,” says Paul Giordano, Jr., of Paul Giordano & Sons. “They serve the elderly in Philadelphia with compassion and love, so we’re honored to give a little back to them as well as many area churches.”
The PWPM also sprang into action after Hurricane Matthew hit Haiti in October 2016. Through the leadership of John Vena, Inc., the PWPM raised over $10,000, enough to build a new home for a family through a charity called New Story.
The merchants of the PWPM also work with groups like the Food Trust Corner Store Initiative, which encourages small store owners to come to the PWPM to learn the ins and outs of selecting fresh produce for their stores.
Another rising trend is food buying clubs. One such group, Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha (APM, or Association of Puerto Ricans on the Move), was founded in 1970 by Vietnam veterans who returned from the war and found their own community in need.
Now, APM buys in bulk at the market, sorts items in a north Philly warehouse, and shares the food among 600 families.
This is an excerpt from the most recent Produce Blueprints quarterly journal. Click here to read the full article.
