Resource list: Food in the time of COVID-19

We’ve all gotten the COVID-19 message loud and clear: stay home, stock up on food and supplies, and avoid group activities.

But many low-income elders, individuals, and families with children don’t have the luxury of stocking up on food — they were experiencing difficulty accessing healthy food and adequate nutrition on a daily basis even before this latest crisis.

Fortunately, Philadelphia has a number of well-established programs tasked with alleviating food insecurity — across the civic and nonprofit sectors — that have stepped up their efforts to adapt to the additional needs precipitated by the coronavirus pandemic.

We’ve gathered them into a resource list for you, with the caveat that every list of this kind is a work-in-progress and by its nature, incomplete. At the end of the list you’ll see a button you can click to submit other efforts underway during the COVID-19 crisis.

1. Meals for students

(Photo from the City of Philadelphia website)

School District of Philadelphia schools

Open Mondays and Thursdays, from 9 a.m. through noon. Families will receive six meals per student — three breakfasts and three lunches.

Charter schools

These sites are open on varying days from 9 a.m. through noon. (check the school’s website for specifics).

Also, after March 23:

The Philadelphia Housing Authority

These community center sites have “grab-and-go” meals for breakfast and lunch from Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon.

• Abbottsford Homes, 3226 McMichael Street (19129)
• Bartram Village, 5404 Gibson Drive (19143)
• John F Street Center, 1100 Poplar Street (19123)
• Raymond Rosen Homes, 2301 W. Edgley Street (19121)
• Westpark Apartments, 300 N. Busti Street (19104)
• Wilson Park, 2500 Jackson Street (19145)

Nutritional Development Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia

(Photo from Nutritional Development Services)

Also, as of March 23:

2. Food Cupboards

Catholic Social Services offers emergency food and diapers at seven CSS Family Service Centers located throughout the five-county metropolitan area. In addition, Nutritional Development Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is continuing to support their network of food cupboards throughout the region and doubling efforts to supply CSS Family Service Centers with non-perishable items for those impacted by COVID-19.

• CSS Family Service Centers
• NDS-supported Food Cupboards

The following nonprofits have not sent us updates on availability during the COVID-19 crisis, but they maintain website maps of food cupboards and/or emergency kitchens. Please contact the host sites listed for up-to-date information about hours of operation or any closures:

• Coalition Against Hunger
• Philabundance
• Share Food Program

3. Farmer’s Markets

(Photo from The Food Trust website)

The Food Trust has announced it will keep its three year-round farmers markets open during the COVID-19 crisis:

• Fitler Square Farmers Market, 23rd and Pine, open Saturdays, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Clark Park Farmers Market, 43rd and Baltimore, open Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Headhouse Farmers Market, Second and Lombard, open Sundays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

These farmers markets accept SNAP benefits, and distribute Food Bucks fruit and vegetable coupons to SNAP customers, at each location.

Additional safety precautions that will be in place at the farmers markets include:

• Vendor tables will be spaced out at least 6 feet from one another
• Hand-washing stations will be placed throughout each market, and customers will be asked to wash hands upon entry
• Only farmers will touch items for sale (customers may point at what they intend to purchase)
• Farmers and market staff will wear gloves at all times, changing those gloves frequently, and payment and produce will be handled by different individuals when possible
• Some farmers will offer pre-bagged produce options (e.g., a 3-pound bag of greens, root vegetables, apples and cider)
• Market staff and volunteers will be on hand to mitigate crowd control by helping customers to form lines with space in between each person
• Signs will be posted to remind customers about CDC recommendations and the above modifications to market operations

Online grocery delivery services

(Photo from Philly FoodWorks website)

Philly FoodWorks is both an online market and a farm share program, with pick-up and delivery options for its subscription food boxes. In addition to purchasing individual items or subscribing, food shoppers can help fund the GreensGrow SNAP share which gives SNAP recipients access to the same healthy, fresh food as is available to farm share customers.

UPDATE: Additions to the list

• Face to Face, a human service organization located in Germantown, is distributing food packages on Mondays and Fridays from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at 123 East Price St, Philadelphia, PA 19144. The distribution takes place in the parking lot. — submitted by Jeanne Reiche of Face to Face
• The University City Hospitality Coalition continues to serve hot meals on our regular schedule. These meals are now packaged to-go, rather than our normal sit down meals. An updated schedule can be found on our website. Broad Street Ministry is still serving lunch as well! — submitted by Sarah Hill of University City Hospitality Coalition
• Casa del Carmen Family Service Center (4400 North Reese Street), a ministry of CSS, will serve as an NDS sponsored feeding site for children. Free meals will be distributed beginning Monday, April 6 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon, and continue every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Families in need can receive up to three meals per child and children do not need to be present in order to receive the meals. The site will feature a “grab and go” delivery system. — via press release from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia

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