The Common Market in the News

Tech Led Solutions to Address Food Insecurity during a Global Pandemic

Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved

COVID-19 has increased childhood food insecurity rates. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia collaborated with Food Connect and The Common Market to deliver produce boxes to food-insecure families. Food Connect leveraged technology to use texting, scale delivery integrations, and optimize routing to deliver 95,000 pounds of food over a 16-week period. COVID-19 has increased childhood food insecurity rates. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia collaborated with Food Connect and The Common Market to deliver produce boxes to food-insecure families. Food Connect leveraged technology to use texting, scale delivery integrations, and optimize routing to deliver 95,000 pounds of food over a 16-week period.

School Nutrition Directors Feed Communities Through the Pandemic

FoodTank

"Bridgeton Public Schools are also working to increase local partnerships. This work is a continuation of a project that has been underway since the implementation of the Community Eligibility Provision – a program that allows schools to feed all students breakfast and lunch for free – in 2017. The county currently works with local producers The Common Market and Seashore Fruit & Produce. “[We] pride ourselves on being a nutrition hub for our students,” says Warren DeShields, Director of Food Services at Bridgeton Public Schools.

ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL STAFF MEMBERS DISTRIBUTED FOOD AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS IN MEMORY OF A LOCAL LEADER

Healthy Together: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

"The Community Health team partnered with nonprofits and local organizations to deliver vegetables, fruit, eggs, bread and yogurt to needy individuals and families. A key partner was The Common Market, a national nonprofit that distributes food from sustainable family farms to communities in need."

Farmers to Families in Philadelphia: How a USDA-funded program contributed to hunger relief during COVID-19

Philadelphia Department of Public Health

The Farmers to Families Food Box Program significantly increased access to fresh food in Philadelphia, particularly in neighborhoods that suffered the double-burden of economic instability and vulnerability to infection. Though the USDA program itself met some critique on the national level, in Philadelphia it was largely successful in supporting greater food access, and also returned value to regional farms.

Amid Pandemic Hunger Crisis, Entrepreneurial Women Work to Combat Food Insecurity

The Story Exchange

[The Common Market Mid-Atlantic] recently finished a seven-month, $6 million contract with the City of New York to pack and deliver more than 230,000 pantry boxes to address adult food insecurity. “Hearing directly from people about what it means to not open a box with processed sugary foods, but something fresh and nutritious — we’re giving humanity back to people through distribution and food access efforts.”

Farm to School Champion: Lavar Prather

The Food Trust

"To be essential, it means a lot. Being out there on the frontlines with everyone else. Even if it is on the smaller end — you’re still out there helping out."

Lehigh surpassed Real Food Challenge goal

The Brown and White

"Sleeger said non-profits were a game-changer, such as The Common Market in Philadelphia. The Common Market is a non-profit distributor that connects local farms to communities and anchor institutions like Lehigh."

Produce Boxes Grow Rural-Urban Partnerships

Lancaster Farming

"Sometimes a produce box holds more than fresh vegetables and fruit.

It also contains the labor of Pennsylvania farmers and farm workers, truck drivers, relationship-building and evidence-based information from Penn State Extension staff, the passion of 4-H youth and leaders, a mission-focused community development group, the grit of a community organizer, locally grown fruit and vegetables from an innovative non-profit regional food distributor, and potential for growing healthy communities.

We are going to have to find a bigger box."

Reflections from the Philly Food World on COVID-19

Edible Philly

“People have been brave. Our drivers are out on the front lines, and they were like: ‘We’re here. We’re ready to serve.’ They didn’t hesitate. I’ll remember how brave the farmers were, too. I have been so impressed at how everyone has leaped in and said, ‘We are going to keep moving and figure out how to help each other.’”