Philabundance Seeing Increase In Clients During COVID-19 Pandemic

Janelle Burrell reports.

RESIDENTS MONTHLY, PRIORITYWILL BE GIVE TONE VULNERABLEGROUPS AND EMERGENCY WORKERS.JANUARY SNELL.JIM, WE ALL KNOWPHILABUNDANCE IS WORKINGAUTHORITIES MEET THE NEED FORPEOPLE IN NEED OF FOOD IN ACOMMUNITY NOW MORE THAN EVER.SO THERE IS MORNING, WE WANTTO CHECK IN TO SEE HOWDONATIONS ARE GOING, AND HOWPEOPLE AT HOME MAY BE HELPTHOSE IN NEED OF HELP AT THISTIME.SO, JOINING US LIVER THISMORNING, SAMANTHA, WITHPHILABUNDANCE, SAM AND, THATGOOD MORNING, SO GOOD TO HAVEYOU WITH US.GOOD MORNING, THANKS FORHAVING ME, REAL REALLYAPPRECIATE IT.AND SO, SO MANY PEOPLE AREDEALING WITH A LOT OF ISSUESRIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, JOB LOST,FOOD INSECURITY, TELL US WHATYOUR NUMBERS LOOKS LIKE INTERMS WHATEVER YOU TYPICALLYSEE WHAT YOU'RE SEEING NOWDURING THIS PANDEMIC?FOR SURE.SO, TYPICALLY, PHILABUNDANCEHELPS ABOUT 90,000 PEOPLE AWEEK STRUGGLING WITH HUNGER,THIS IS PRIOR TO COVID-19.ABOUT 30% OF WHO WE IS HERROUGH CHILDREN AND 16% ARESENIORS.THIS IS SUCH A MOVING TARRINGTHAT'S WE DON'T HAVE SOLIDNUMBERS AS OF YET BUT OURAGENCY NETWORK WE HAVE OVER350 AGENCIES ACROSS NINECOUNTIES, REPORTING SEEINGTEN, 20, EVEN 50 PLUS NEWCLIENTS.WE'RE SEEING ABOUT INCREASE OF30 TO 50% CLIENTS, AS WELL,JUST ACROSS THE BOARD, ACROSSTHE COUNTRY, SO THE INCREASENEED IS HAPPENING, NOT JUST INPHILADELPHIA, AND SURROUNDINGCOUNTIES, BUT THROUGHOUT THECOUNTRY.AND THERE ARE A LOT OFPEOPLE WHO MAY NEVER HAVE ACHANCE TO REACH OUT BEFORE INTERMS OF GETTING HEAD AND --HELP AND FEEDING THEIRFAMILIES F YOU ARE IN NEED OFFOOD RIGHT NOW WHERE SHOULDYOU START?WELL, FIRST THINGS FIRST,EVERYTHING IS ABOUT RESEARCHAND MAKING SURE IN THE AGEEVERY COVID THAT YOU ARETAKING CARE OF YOURSELF ANDYOUR FAMILY WHILE SOCIALDISTANCING AND ABIDING CDCHEADLINES.SO BEFORE GOING TO A FOOD BANKOR FOOD PANTRY WE ASK PEOPLEIF YOU'RE IN PHILADELPHIACOUNTY CALL 311 TO FINDRESOURCES NEAR THAT YOU AREOPEN.AND POSSIBLY OTHER RESOURCESFOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.GO TO WHY HUNGER.ORG, INPUTYOUR ZIP CODE AND FIND APLETHERA OF RE SOURCES AROUND,FREE FOOD, RESOURCES, AS WELL,AND ALL HAVE VERY SIMILARTYPES OF TO PUT YOUR ZIP CODEAND THEN ABUNDANCE OF THINGSCOME UP.WE ALWAYS RECOMMEND CALLINGAGENCY OR PANTRY BEFOREHAND INCASE THEY'RE CLOSED DUE TOCOVID.SINCE COVID PANTRIES HAVE HADTO CLOSE THEIR DOORS BECAUSERUN BY VOLUNTEERS OR ELDERLY,SO KEEPING TRACK OF WHATAGENCY ARE CLOSED OR OPEN HASALSO BEEN A MOVING TARRING THETHE IT.SO MAKING SURE TO CALL AGENTAGENCY BEFORE YOU STEP OUT OFYOUR HOUSE.WEARING A MASK, WHATEVER YOUNEED, VOICE THE OPINIONS ORVOICE THOSE NEEDS, BECAUSE WEUNDERSTAND IT IS CASINO EVERYSCAR TOY ASK FOR HELPSOMETIMES.BUT RIGHT NOW THIS IS, WE'REHERE TO HELP, WE UNDERSTANDTHERE IS A NEED, NO JUDGEMENTJUST A HAND UP, NOT A HANDOUT.SO MANY PEOPLE ARE RELYINGON YOU RIGHT NOW.HOW ARE DONATIONS RIGHT NOW?RIGHT NOW WE HAVE BEEN SOLUCKY THAT THE OUR POURING OFSUPPORT FROM THE PHILADELPHIAAREA, REALLY SEEN THAT THIS ISTHE CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE,SISTERLY AN AFFECTION, GOTTENDONATION FROST JACK AND JULIEERTZ, FROM GIANTS, WE HAD THEONLY SUN ANY PHILADELPHIA DIDGO FUN ME CAMPAIGN FOR US,MAIMED THOSE DONATIONS, SOWE'VE HAD BIG SUPPORTERS, ALSOHAD SMALL SUPPORTERS, A WOMANWHO WAS ACTUALLY WHO WROTEINTO US HEY CAN YOU SENDS MEAN ENVELOPE.I'M BLIND AND YOU GUYSACTUALLY HELPED ME WHEN IFIRST WENT BLIND.NOW I'M IN THE POSITION TOHELP YOU GUYS OUT AND I WANTTO SEND YOU MONEY, SO WE'VEHAD BIG DONATIONS, SMALLDONATIONS, ALL ALLOW US TOPURCHASE MORE FOOD ANDPURCHASE THE ITEMS THAT CLIENTNEED AND BUY THEM IN BULK.RIGHT NOW BIGGEST NEED ISSTILL DONATIONS BECAUSE THECOST OF FOOD HAS GONE UP 20 TO30% DUE TO COVID.SO CERTAIN ITEMS ARE HAVINGWAIT TIMES LIKE SIX WEEKS, ANDREALLY HARD R, REALLYSTRUGGLING, BECAUSE OTHER FOODBANKS, AND OTHER GROCERYSTORES, AND RESTAURANT, ARE INNEED OF FOOD.BUT THERE IS SUCH A KING INTHE SUPPLY CHAIN RIGHT NOWTHAT ALL WE CAN REAL DOW ISWAIT FOR DONATIONS TO PURCHASETHIS FOOD AND WHEN IT BECOMESAVAILABLE WE GET IT AND PUT ITOUT TO THE COMMUNITY.AND ALL OF THOSE DONATIONS,SO IMPORTANT, RIGHT NOW.PHILABUNDANCE HELPING FEED THE