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Summer 2008
A publication of The Mitzvah Food Project
Center for Social Responsibility, Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia
Greetings! 
 
leeWelcome to our first edition of Food For Thought, an electronic publication designed to keep you informed about The Mitzvah Food Project. We will be distributing the newsletter quarterly, to provide you with news and views about The Project, hunger issues and how you can make a difference for those in our community who struggle with food insecurity.
 
Your opinion counts!

Strong communication is fundamental to the success of The Mitzvah Food Project, and we are hoping that Food For Thought-in addition to being worthwhile to read-will inspire your contributions, comments and observations. So, we'd love to hear from you. If you have ideas about articles, reflections on Mitzvah Food Project activities, or commentary on anything you read in Food For Thought, please email Drisana at ddavis@philafederation.org.  If you wish to unsubscribe from this email, please also email Drisana.
 
We hope you enjoy the first edition of our Food for Thought enewsletter.   
 
Drisana Davis             
Mitzvah Food Project  
Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia 
 
Lee Hillerson
Mitzvah Food Project Advisory Board Chair
Project Points 
This fall, we changed our name from the Mitzvah Food Pantry to the Mitzvah Food Project to better describe the full range of our efforts. While our primary focus remains our five pantry locations where we provide ongoing food relief and emergency provisions to vulnerable households, we are increasing our advocacy, education and fundraising. 
 
Click here to view the key accomplishments from our first six months as the Mitzvah Food Project.
In This Issue
Project Points
Dinner Table Conversation
Hunger Advocacy
Volunteer Spotlight
Quick Links

Mitzvah Food Project Advisory Board

Lee Hillerson, Chair
 
Peggy Carver, Esq.
Nina Cohen
Drisana Davis
Ruth Firth
Jerrold Frezel
Madelyn Karasick
Mary Kirsch
Ruth Laibson
Janet Levin
Cookie Perilstein
Robin Rifkin
Lainey Simonson
Mona Sutnick
Sheila Weiss
Judith Woloff
Dinner Table Converstation
Each quarter, we will share an article of interest with you. Below is an article published in the Non Profit Times on March 1, 2008 which explains how fuel costs are affecting the nation's food banks. The article was written by Mark Hrywna:
 
Fuel Costs Eating Up Food Banks
Cost of supplies also pumped up by high price of energy
 
The highest inflation rate in 17 years means higher prices for everyone, but food banks across the country in particular are facing tough choices as a result of skyrocketing costs coupled with rising demand for service. Consumer prices rose 4.1 percent in 2007, according to data released in January by the U.S. Department of Labor, but food prices specifically were up almost 5 percent -- including 36 percent for eggs and 29 percent for whole milk. The federal data only put into black and white what some food banks have already seen coming.

Click here to read the whole article
Hunger Advocacy

A major challenge facing food programs across the country is diminishing Federal and State funding. The Mitzvah Food Project is experiencing this first hand as it continues to expand to meet the growing demand for services in a dangerous climate of increasing food prices.

In the 2006-07 program year, the Project supplemented 67% of its food costs with support from the State Food Purchase Program. This program incurred a $150,000 - 5% -- budget cut this year. The full impact of this budget cut on The Project is not yet known. 

Volunteer Spotlight: Ellen Glassman and Julie Nagorsky
Small acts of kindness bring lasting joy
On February 24, more than 40 third-to-fifth-grade students from Congregation Beth El Ner Tamid's religious school and their families journeyed to the Mitzvah Food Project pantry at JCC's Kevy K. and Hortense M. Kaiserman Branch to pack food for residents of the Golden Slipper Center for Seniors Pavilion. At the pantry, volunteers packed canned goods, cookies, menus, and $5 gift cards into 124 yellow bags. Prior to the day, students baked cookies, organized a food drive and held a fundraiser for supermarket gift cards for the packages.
 
Federation's Mitzvah Food Project thanks volunteer Rhoda Weiner for donating her time and writing assistance to make Food for Thought possible.  

The Mitzvah Food Project thanks all of its volunteers for making it possible for our hunger relief project/program to meet the most basic needs of Greater Philadelphia's at-risk community members.
The mission of the Mitzvah Food Project is to alleviate hunger and malnutrition in a caring and dignified manner, and to educate and advocate on behalf of those in need. The Project works in partnership with volunteers and community groups, spearheaded by synagogues and Jewish organizations.