By: Nicole Gregoire, CPSD Public Health Intern

1 in 5 Philadelphians suffer from food insecurity. Come learn what food insecurity means and how it’s affecting your community at the fourth annual Good Food for All conference, presented by the Culinary Literacy Center and the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger on May 10 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Parkway Central Library. This conference is open to everyone and we welcome you to come join us and learn to be a hunger fighter.

Over 1.5 million Pennsylvanians are food insecure. Philadelphia County has the highest overall food insecurity in the entire state. This means that those impacted are unable to consistently provide enough food for themselves and their families, which hinders their ability to support an active, healthy life. In 2016, 12.3% (15.6 million) of U.S. households were food insecure at some point during the year. You likely know someone that has lived with food insecurity.

Good Food For All will feature inspiring talks from individuals who are fighting hunger and food insecurity in big ways! We are honored that Chinwe Onyekere, Associate Administrator at Lankenau Medical Center, will give the keynote address at this year’s conference. Onyekere’s work has focused on reducing healthcare disparities and identifying innovative ways to improve healthcare delivery. One of these innovations is the Deaver Wellness Garden, an organic garden on-site at Lankenau. Fresh produce from the farm makes its way to year-round farmers’ markets for patients, visitors, and employees. This bounty of nutritious food is also used to address the food insecurity and chronic disease management needs of the Medical Center’s most vulnerable patients, and is donated to local food banks.

In addition to Onyekere, Councilwoman Helen Gym will speak at this year’s conference as part of a panel discussion on the new Farm Bill. As chair of City Council’s Children and Youth Committee, Councilwoman Gym has won historic victories for public schools, expanded pre-kindergarten programs, and invested in infrastructure safety. She established new city funds to address youth homelessness as well as a legal defense fund for tenants facing wrongful evictions. She is a leading national voice for immigrant rights and is a co-sponsor of a municipal ID card program and a resolution supporting the Adoptee Citizenship Act.

Register today and join Philadelphians who are committed to improving access in their own lives and the lives of those around them. There will be presentations from Philadelphia area organizations that fight food insecurity, including:

• Eat.Right.Now.
• Hub of Hope
• Philadelphia Department of Public Health
• Philadelphia Nutrition Education Network
• SHARE
• Sunday Suppers
• Weavers Way
• West Chester University Resource Pantry

The Good Food for All conference is open to the general public and is for people who are SNAP eligible, hunger fighters, food educators, and advocates for food access, as well as anyone wanting to learn more about food insecurity in the Philadelphia area. The conference will feature food demonstrations, workshops, and panels on eating well on a budget, campus hunger, youth-led programs, family meals, the Farm Bill, and more!

Registration is now open and includes coffee, box lunch, and a sweet treat, which have been generously provided by La Colombe, Sweetgreen, and Shake Shack. Visit freelibrarycook.eventbrite.com to register.