"Stop Hunger at Your Station" Extended Another Week

from the inbox:

SEPTA’s fourth annual “Stop Hunger at Your Station” food drive has been extended one more week — to June 22 — giving the Authority’s customers the opportunity to help more Greater Philadelphia region families.

The drive supports Philabundance. This year, contributions will specifically benefit the organization’s summer meals program to provide food for children who do not receive free and reduced-cost breakfasts and lunches once the school year ends.

“Because the need for food from families across the Delaware Valley is so great, we knew we needed to keep the drive going longer,” said SEPTA General Manager Joseph Casey. “Extending the event will significantly help Philabundance fill its shelves with necessary food items and help even more parents struggling to feed their families.”  Philabundance agencies have seen a 26 percent increase in need over the past year, compared to a 22 percent increase in the previous year. Of the population Philabundance
serves, approximately 23 percent are children.

Through June 22, SEPTA will collect donations of canned and boxed goods in marked barrels at 45 designated locations throughout the transit system. For a list of collection locations, visit www.septa.org. CCT customers wishing to participate will be able to give their canned good contributions to their vehicle operator.

In 2011, SEPTA’s customers and employees contributed almost 17.8 tons of food, bringing the three-year food drive total to more than 46 tons. The community can participate in the 2012 drive by contributing the following items:
• Canned or shelf stabilized tuna
• Canned pasta
• Canned beef ravioli
• Creamy peanut butter (plastic containers only, please)
• Jelly (plastic containers only, please)

The public can also make a donation to Philabundance online to help feed neighbors in need. Any monetary contribution will count toward the total collected through the SEPTA 2012 campaign.

Philabundance is the largest hunger-relief organization in the Delaware Valley, serving nine counties and feeding 65,000 people every week. In 2011, Philabundance distributed 19 million pounds of food in its service area and an additional two million pounds to other area food banks.