Emergency fund for food pantries more needed than ever, say aid workers
Clients receive food Feb. 3 from archdiocesan Catholic Social Services Southwest Philadelphia Family Services Center, one of several sites relying on an emergency relief fund created by the Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia to meet soaring demand for food assistance. (Photo courtesy of Samuel Abu)
By Gina Christian • Posted March 1, 2021
A year into the COVID pandemic, a charitable campaign has managed to distribute some $282,000 to archdiocesan food pantries – and needs to raise thousands more to meet rising demands for assistance.
Last March, the Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia (CFGP) created an Emergency Relief Fund (ERF) to help restock a five-county network of food cupboards managed by archdiocesan Catholic Social Services (CSS). As workplace shutdowns and layoffs mounted in the pandemic’s initial weeks, client volume at the outreaches soared, with one location reporting a 1