Going to a food pantry more than once a month, rather than once a month or less, is linked with a higher-quality diet, says guest columnist Heather Eicher-Miller.

The online platform used at the Mitzvah Food Program's food pantry was built with tools to help encourage healthy eating and easy adherence to dietary or religious preferences, says Brian Gralnick.

Feeding America says demand on food banks since March has increased an average of 50% and it is estimating members will need $1.4 billion to keep pace with the exploding need. But some local food banks say donations have started to decline.

Philadelphia has a number of well-established programs tasked with alleviating food insecurity that have stepped up their efforts to adapt to the additional needs precipitated by the coronavirus pandemic.

The org offers community raised-bed gardens, senior food boxes, summer food boxes, weekend backpacks for school-age children, a mobile market, bilingual cooking classes and a growing culinary workforce development program.

Guest columnist Robert Nowell writes about the nonprofit that helps him eat healthier.

The Sunlight Foundation, the Open Contracting Partnership, and the City of Philadelphia have collaborated to come up with short-term and long-term reforms to ensure food quality and allow for more inclusive input in the procurement process.

It is the goal of anti-hunger and community organizations across the city to reach every food insecure child in Philly.