Food4Philly Inc.

Every year, 119 billion pounds of food in the United States of America goes to waste. That’s between 30-40 percent of the food supply in this country. In other words, that's 130 billion meals and more than $408 billion in wasted food every single year.

At the same time, we have seen devastating food shortages all over the world, especially in our local communities. These shortages and supply chain issues which caused a great deal of suffering were only heightened by the COVID-19 Pandemic, but surprisingly, there is a silver lining.

The pandemic, with all the chaos and pain it caused, also brought much-needed attention to the people in our community who were in need of assistance. Food insecurity is one of the principal causes of hardship around the world, and more people than ever before are being affected. In response to this, organizations of all kinds rose up to the challenge to help people in need.

Food4Philly is a student-run non profit organization based in the greater Philadelphia area, working to alleviate food insecurity while promoting collaboration and inclusivity. Food4Philly works both in traditional food drives and fundraising events, as well as coordinates with restaurants, big and small, in our area to ensure that any food they may potentially waste is instead distributed to those most in need.

Food4Philly was founded by a small group and high schoolers who recruited fellow classmates to help the cause. In being student-run, Food4Philly encourages students and younger people to rise to higher levels of civic responsibility, helping to make a difference in the lives of others.