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On an unseasonably chilly Wednesday several dozen residents began gathering in Germantown’s Vernon Park at 8 a.m. After signing their names to a list and receiving hand written numbers, these men and women brought miniature shopping carts and luggage bags and waited. Finally, at 10 a.m. when over 60 people were gathered, a large box truck arrived. Drivers unloaded pallets of bananas, pineapples, yogurt, and bread. Then the numbers began to be called. Everyone eventually left with a substantial amount of each food item, enough to hold them until the next week.
Tony Moore, a retired war veteran, said that for over 19 years, he has organized these food deliveries to Vernon Park and four other locations across Philadelphia, including private deliveries to senior citizens who cannot easily leave their homes. Veterans United now feeds approximately 8,600 people a week.
“We started this off my porch at 25th and Lehigh,” said Moore. “I used to do an after school program and summer lunch and people were asking me for leftover food…until it became more adults asking me for food than I had food.” He realized that some of his own neighbors did not have enough to eat. Moore eventually found out about the Philadelphia Food Bank and later Philabundance.
All the residents who came to Vernon Park seemed grateful for the help from Veterans United. For some, a lack of government assistance makes this the only help that they can count on.
“I was receiving food stamps,” said Mary Lyons. “[Now] I’m just starting to receive disability [benefits], so welfare has been cut off, so I really need [the food here] more than ever.” She also fixes breakfast and other meals for older residents of her block.
Lyons is grateful for the work of Veteran’s United.
“I think it’s had a big impact on everyone right now…with the economy the way it is,” said Lyons. “And things are high, moneys tight, people are looking for all kinds of ways to make ends meet.” With the high prices of food and especially fresh produce, she calls Veterans United, “a lifesaver.”
Salvador Morales, an 85-year-old food recipient, is also grateful.
“This helps a lot … it’s money I don’t have to spend at the grocery store, said Morales, who had tried for government assistance. “The first time they say I was not qualified, I don’t know what it takes to be qualified.”
Veterans United and Philabundance operate almost entirely without government assistance. Moore said his volunteers work entirely for free. He credits his friend, legislative assistant Rochelle Barabin and her employer, State Representative Rosita Youngblood (D-198), with helping him to fill out forms and to secure the Vernon Park location for his weekly food handouts.
Philadbundance is the source of the food distributed by Veterans United and is almost entirely privately funded. According to Communications Director Marlo DelSordo, the organization’s chief public sponsor is the United States Department of Agriculture. Less comes from Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia nothing at all. Government support accounts for about 5 percent of the food they receive. Most of the food comes from local area supermarkets that donate food near expiration date.
Mary Gayner, Director of Philabundance’s Agency Relations, said that based off the number of signatures of food recipients, Philabundance sends about 1 million pounds of food every year to Veterans United’s five distribution sites, including Vernon Park.
Moore said some government assistance could help.
“I know we could do more … if I just had a building. There’s things I have to turn down because I don’t have a building to store it or refrigeration … milk, meats, cheese …a lot of dairy stuff that I have to turn down.” Moore went on to say that simple things like gloves for volunteers or the use of a waste disposal truck once a week would make a great deal of difference. Recently, he explored expanding the program to a sixth location in Kensington, but had to cancel that program because of concerns about trash cleanup, however he knows there is a need in the area.
“I just think there’s going to be more people coming out because of the recession, and jobs – a lot of people not working,” said Moore.
There are two things Moore said that he would like to see happen. He would like people to be patient with his volunteers who do the work out of the goodness of their heart. “We’re out here all year round, the weather’s got to be terrible for us not to be out,” said Moore. “We’re out in the rain, the snow, the heat.” Secondly, Moore added, “What I would like the community to do is get in touch with their representatives or counsel people and tell them what we’re doing and ask them to ask us what can they do for us.”
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