Program to Feed Hungry in Philadelphia
enters Second Season

Philadelphia, Pa. (May 2007) The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has been awarded a $250,000 two-year grant from The Albert M. Greenfield Foundation to continue its innovative program - City Harvest - to feed the hungry in Philadelphia.

The City Harvest program, with partners PHS, SHARE (Self Help and Resource Exchange), the Philadelphia Prison System, and community gardens throughout the city, increases the availability of fresh produce to people in low-income neighborhoods. Seedlings are raised by inmates in the Philadelphia Prison System with crops then cultivated in 20 local community gardens. The resulting produce is distributed through SHARE food cupboards.

“We saw the power that would come from linking the prisoners with the community gardens and the food cupboards,” said Priscilla Luce, president of The Albert M. Greenfield Foundation, a Philadelphia-based philanthropic organization that supports arts, education and social service programs. “There is something very special here. For the prison inmates, it helps them reconnect with who they are as human beings. For the volunteers, the gardeners, and the people delivering the program, City Harvest seems to elevate people’s sense of themselves.”

City Harvest, launched a year ago with initial funding from The Albert M. Greenfield Foundation, involves more than 100 community gardeners. To date, an estimated 9,880 families of the nearly 121,000 who rely on soup kitchens and pantries for their food have received more than 7,500 pounds of fresh produce.

This season, the program is expected to grow to more than 9,000 pounds of food and will provide 60 nutrition workshops for gardeners and food cupboard personnel.

Three community gardens, new to the program, will focus on youth education in horticulture. They are:

• UNI (Urban Nutrition Initiative) Garden in West Philadelphia, which works with University City High School students
• Mill Creek Farm in West Philadelphia, which works with area students
• Journey Home Garden in Fishtown area, which works with their “Teens 4 Good” program

Both UNI and Journey Home are also working on the entrepreneurial aspects of community gardens.

Improvements have also been made to the facilities at the Alternative and Special Detention facility of the Philadelphia Prison System at 8101 State Road, Philadelphia. These include a master plan for the growing space, a new unheated “hoop house” greenhouse, fruit and nut trees, and an arbor to accommodate climbing plants.   To build job-readiness skills among the inmates, EP Henry Corporation, a national manufacturer of hardscaping products, will conduct quarterly trainings on using pavers and wall block to create patios, retaining walls and other features.
“City Harvest has accomplished so much in the last year,” said Joan Reilly, a director for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Philadelphia Green Program. “We look forward to expanding the work in this next chapter by recruiting more gardeners, growing more food and serving more families through this innovative partnership.”

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, a non-profit organization formed in 1827, produces the nation’s largest Flower Show. Show revenues support PHS’ outreach efforts, including Philadelphia Green. The PHS’ mission is to improve quality of life and create a sense of community through horticulture.

FOR PRESS INFORMATION, CONTACT:
ALAN JAFFE, email or call 215-988-8833
LAURA BEITMAN, email or call 215-988-8836