North Light’s Food Cupboard Receives $15,000 Grant From Lincoln Financial Foundation

The Lincoln Financial Foundation awarded nearly $400,000 to 23 nonprofits providing health and human services, part of $2.1 million in charitable giving it has allocated for Philadelphia this year. One of the grantees was the Manayunk-based North Light Community Center, which received a $15,000 grant to support its emergency food cupboard.

Lincoln Financial awards grants in four key areas: youth education, human services, economic/workforce development, and the arts. Other grantees this year in the human services category included Habitat for Humanity, Urban Tree Connection, and Resources for Human Development.

“Support from Lincoln Financial allows us to supplement the things that are in the food cupboard and round out our offerings,” said Dana Dabek, director of advancement at North Light.

In addition to shelf-stable items, fresh produce and prepared foods, the cupboard provides eggs, butter, ground beef and chicken. Twice a week, clients shop individually in North Light’s gym, which is setup supermarket-style.

Each “aisle” is staffed by a volunteer who can troubleshoot and explain what certain foods are — like lentils or kale, for example — and how they can be prepared. “People aren’t always sure,”  Dabek noted. “This gives them a personalized shopping experience.”

The cupboard distributes nearly 100,000 pounds of food each year and partners with ShopRite, Philabundance and Target. The Whole Foods Market in Plymouth Meeting, another partner, supplies more than half of the overall food total.

Emergency assistance — including food — is available to anyone who lives, works, attends school or worships in zip codes 19127, 19128 and 19129, but North Light also receives referrals from across the city, according to Dabek. It also offers help with utilities, benefits referrals, and child care.

“One of the things that we’re always looking to do is be responsive to clients’ needs,” said Dabek. “We survey once a year to make sure we’re meeting them.”

The cupboard’s supermarket-style setup, for instance, was the result of client feedback. This spring, clients reported that they needed items other than food, including “the kinds of things you can’t get on SNAP benefits,” Dabek said, such as paper towels and toiletries. North Light forged a partnership with a local Target store in response.

“One of our core values is being as responsive as possible to the people that we serve,” Dabek said.

Image c/o North Light Community Center