Jewish Relief Agency Fights Hunger and Builds Community
The Junior League of Philadelphia partners with JRA by packing produce and assembling food bags for families in need. Together, we help JRA fulfill its mission of relieving hunger, improving lives, and strengthening our community.
Since 2000, the Jewish Relief Agency (JRA) has been working to ensure that no member of our community goes hungry. Through its monthly Food Distribution Program, JRA provides over 6,000 low-income individuals across Greater Philadelphia with kosher, nutritious food and essential home supplies.
Each month, volunteers pack and deliver boxes of food weighing about 15 pounds, filled with carbohydrates, proteins, and fresh produce. Families with children also receive child-friendly snacks through the Family Friendly Food Initiative, while seniors and other households can opt for Everyday Essentials bags with items like shampoo, toilet paper, and incontinence supplies. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, JRA expanded its offerings to include critical household goods like dish soap and laundry detergent.
What makes JRA unique is its home delivery model, which removes barriers like transportation and mobility issues while also addressing social isolation. Many of the individuals JRA serves are elderly or disabled, and the deliveries offer not only sustenance but also a warm sense of community.
For more information about JRA or to get involved, visit jewishrelief.org.
Riverbend Environmental Education Center Inspires with Nature-Based STEM Programs
The Junior League of Philadelphia supports Riverbend’s mission through Volunteer Work Days, helping maintain the preserve and ensuring that Riverbend can continue to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.
Riverbend Environmental Education Center is transforming the way students learn about science and the environment. By combining nature-based learning with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education, Riverbend connects students to the natural world while equipping them with critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
Each year, Riverbend provides some 35,000 program visits, including school programs and off-site nature experiences, to inspire students to care for the Earth’s resources. With nearly half of their school program participants coming from underserved communities, Riverbend is dedicated to making environmental education accessible and impactful for all. Their hands-on inquiry-based programs bring science to life, fostering environmental literacy and empowering learners to take action for a healthier planet.
Riverbend’s innovative programs include STEM-based activities like aquaponics, nature preserve exploration, and outdoor lessons at their Gladwyne site or in schools across the region. When students engage in nature-based curricula, they’re three times more likely to find the material engaging and create lasting memories.
For more information about Riverbend’s programs and opportunities to get involved, visit riverbendeec.org.
Cathedral Kitchen Nourishes the Community, One Meal at a Time
The Junior League of Philadelphia proudly partners with Cathedral Kitchen, including hosting sandwich-making events that help provide additional food support to their guests. Together, we’re making a tangible difference in the community.
Cathedral Kitchen (CK) is Camden, New Jersey’s largest emergency food provider, serving over 100,000 meals annually to food-insecure residents in Camden and surrounding areas. But CK goes beyond serving meals—it’s a hub of support, empowerment, and community building.
Hot meals are prepared on-site, plated, and served to guests at their tables, fostering a dignified and welcoming environment. CK also provides groceries to local senior centers, supplies food to after-school programs, and collaborates with local pantries and soup kitchens to meet the broader community’s needs.
CK’s impact extends beyond meals. Their 15-week Culinary and Baking Arts Employment Training Course equips students with culinary skills, ServSafe certification, financial literacy, and job placement support, with over 86% of graduates finding employment within three months. Additionally, CK’s social enterprises, including CK Catering and CK Dinner To-Go, help sustain their programming while creating jobs in Camden.
Support services offered during meal hours include housing and utility assistance, mental health and substance use treatment, and personal care items for guests. Families can “shop” for free groceries through the Marketstand every Wednesday, providing choice and dignity to those in need.
For more information or to support Cathedral Kitchen, visit cathedralkitchen.org.
Face to Face Offers Support for Our Neighbors
Since 1984, Face to Face has been a vital resource for families and individuals in Germantown, providing meals, services, and support. What started with hot meals for neighbors has grown into a variety of programs that meet basic human needs while addressing long-term challenges.
Face to Face’s programs include a Dining Room serving farm-fresh meals in a welcoming environment, a Legal Center tackling housing and estate issues, and a Social Service Center assisting with benefits, housing navigation, and utility aid. They also offer health and mental health support, an art program, a computer lab, and even a Washeteria with private showers.
Junior League of Philadelphia members support Face to Face by volunteering to help prepare and serve meals and collect essential items for outreach packages. Together, we support their mission to meet immediate needs and create pathways to a brighter future for their guests.
For more about Face to Face’s work, visit facetofacegermantown.org.
Greener Partners are Growing Health One Garden at a Time
Greener Partners has been connecting Philadelphia communities to healthy food, farms, and education since 2008. What started as a small garden has blossomed into programs that distribute fresh produce, educate children, and strengthen urban gardens. Their work impacts thousands of people each year.
Programs like its mobile farm, Farm Explorer, teach children the joys of growing and eating fresh food. At Lankenau Medical Center’s Deaver Wellness Farm, Greener Partners has delivered over 14,000 pounds of produce to patients, proving the power of “food as medicine.” In schools, its Healthy Schools Project brings gardens, no-cost produce distributions, and farm-to-table education to students and families.
The JLP has supported Greener Partners’ efforts, including community food distributions and urban garden initiatives. Together, we’re empowering communities to grow their own food and embrace healthier lives.
For more about Greener Partners, visit greenerpartners.org.
Food Relief with a Mission: Garden of Health’s Commitment to Nutrition for All
When organizations address food insecurity, it is uncommon for them to consider allergies and other food restrictions. Garden of Health addresses this need. Since 2015, the organization has partnered with food pantries to educate them about allergy-friendly foods, ensuring all donations reach those in need. This aligns with their mission to provide safe, healthy food to low-income families, including those with dietary restrictions, in Montgomery and Bucks Counties.
In addition to its food pantry, Garden of Health operates a food distribution system, maintains a farm in Harfield, and will soon implement aquaponics, combining aquaculture (raising aquatic animals in tanks) with hydroponics (growing plants in a nutrient-rich water solution). A team of volunteers, led by Founder Carol Bauer, runs the organization’s operations, which are supported by frequent fundraisers and food drives.
Since its inception nine years ago, Garden of Health has distributed over 500,000 pounds of food, provided emergency pantry assistance to 811 people, supported more than 60 health relief organizations, and has consistently cultivated an 8-acre garden. For nearly the same amount of time, the JLP has partnered with Garden of Health. At the JLP’s most recent Annual Meeting, members collected food items to support Garden of Health’s food drive, further serving the community.
To learn more about Garden of Health, please visit gardenofhealthinc.org.
Planting Seeds of Change with the Philadelphia Orchard Project
The Philadelphia Orchard Project (POP) has been transforming urban spaces into thriving orchards since 2007. By partnering with community groups, POP designs and plants orchards filled with fruit trees, berry bushes, and herbs in lower-wealth neighborhoods, providing access to fresh, healthy food where it’s needed most. These orchards not only boost community-based food production but also offer environmental benefits and nature education opportunities.
POP’s orchards can be found in schoolyards, vacant lots, and community gardens across Philadelphia. The produce from these sites supports local communities, including an orchard at Bartram’s Garden and the educational food forest at the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center.
In collaboration with the Junior League of Philadelphia, POP continues to make a significant impact. JLP volunteers assist during Orchard Work Days and played a vital role in creating the Learning Orchard at The Woodlands, a hub for developing climate-resilient fruiting plants.
Urban orchards are key to fighting climate change by sequestering carbon and reducing the city’s carbon footprint through local food production. POP’s latest venture includes high tunnels at The Woodlands Cemetery, where they cultivate both cold-hardy and warm-climate plants like figs, guava, and olive trees, preparing Philadelphia’s orchards for future climate challenges.
For more about POP, visit phillyorchards.org.
Healing Through Food: MANNA’s Volunteers and Programs Transform Lives in Philadelphia
MANNA, headquartered in Philadelphia’s Fairmount neighborhood, aims to improve health outcomes through nutrition for individuals with serious illnesses, such as cancer, renal diseases, and HIV/AIDS. Since its founding in 1990, MANNA has provided more than 22,000,000 meals to 40,000 people in need.
This impact is possible due to a team of over 9,000 volunteers who cook, arrange, and package meals for delivery throughout the Philadelphia area, including South Jersey and surrounding regions. These dedicated volunteers include members of the Junior League of Philadelphia, Inc. (JLP) who participate through League-coordinated events.
In addition to nutritious meals designed to last approximately one week, MANNA also offers nutritional counseling from licensed nutritionists. Those who receive MANNA’s services save an estimated $13,000 per month in healthcare costs.
MANNA relies primarily on monetary donations but also hosts fundraisers, such as its annual Pie in the Sky event. Held since 1994, this fundraiser supports Thanksgiving dinners and services for community members facing nutritional risks due to critical illnesses. This year, MANNA’s goal is to sell 9,000 pies by November 24.
For more information about MANNA and its work, visit mannapa.org.
Building Stronger Communities: The Impact of the Community Center at Visitation
In 2003, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia opened the Cardinal Bevilacqua Community Center to promote community development. This site later became The Community Center at Visitation (CCV). For the past 21 years, CCV has served the Kensington area and beyond, offering educational, social, and wellness opportunities. Through these resources, CCV aims to enhance the lives of community members and those around them.
Throughout the week, CCV provides a fresh food pantry, health and wellness clinic, trauma healing support groups, legal services, ESL classes, and computer literacy classes. For educational support, CCV also runs the CCV Scholars Program, a tuition assistance initiative for children in grades K-7. These programs are made possible through the dedication of volunteers and are overseen by a small staff led by Executive Director Chantel Brown.
The Junior League of Philadelphia has been a committed partner to CCV through the Done in a Day Committee (DIAD). DIAD supports CCV by volunteering at events such as the Fall Harvest Fest and the Holiday Toy Drive and by promoting CCV’s Self-Care Saturdays.
To learn more about CCV and its work, please visit communitycenteratvis.org.