Hunger is solvable, and one organization headquartered in North Philadelphia maintains that they know exactly how. Founded 40 years ago, Share Food Program is the leading hunger-relief organization on food bank in the Greater Philadelphia region. Though food distribution, education, and advocacy, Share serves around 500,000 individuals each month, more than half of whom are children and seniors. But in one of the biggest poor cities in the country, that calls for hard work, grit, innovation, especially as hunger and inflation continue to soar and federal resources dwindle.
To meet the growing need, the organization has had to quadruple its operations, staffing, and capacity since 2019—this included opening two additional warehouses in Montgomery and Delaware counties.
Beyond its vast network of pantry partners and community-based organizations (320+ and counting), Share has been keeping food on families’ tables through volunteerism, school meal programming, surplus food rescue, urban agriculture, and a 24/7 community fridge.
Last year alone, the organization was able to provide more than 20 million pounds of food to its surrounding communities as well as harvested and donated 6,000+ pounds of organic produce from its on-site farm. The farm, by the way, isn’t just about growing food, it’s about growing minds—it hosted more than 20 field trips and cooking workshops for neighboring schools and adults to learn about food justice, culinary skills, and sustainability. The nonprofit also served 250,000+ students across 800+ schools every day through its work with the National School Lunch Program.
Another way the food bank has sought to break down food access barriers is through its Senior Food Box Program. Each month, Share provides thousands of 30-pound boxes of free food to older adults in the region. Through a partnership with DoorDash, half of those boxes are delivered directly to seniors’ doorsteps, removing a key obstacle for many—limited incomes and transportation. In 2024, the organization was actually deemed one of the busiest pick-up spots in the world.
With support from volunteers, board leadership, and like-minded food advocates, the nonprofit’s leaders say 2025 was a year of many accomplishments, but that it was one of the most challenging years in the four decades of their existence, perhaps even more so than the public health crisis caused by COVID-19 in 2020.
Historic cuts to both food resources, federal funding, and nutritional assistance programs came fast as both demand and cost of living rates took hold both locally and nationally.
As both Share and the country recognize their respective anniversaries, the organization looks ahead to the necessary work and the importance of closing the gap between the haves and have-nots.
“America’s working class is hungry and hurting and our communities need us more than ever,” says Share Executive Director George Matysik. “But we’re ready for that work. Whatever comes our way, we will continue to care for ourneighbors and we will keep families fed.”
