PHILADELPHIA — Mayor Cherelle L. Parker today announced the expansion of the One Philly Produce Project, a partnership between the Mayor’s Office of Education, Food Connect, and Sharing Excess, made possible by an $80,000 donation from Aramark that closed the project’s funding gap.
The expansion brings fresh fruits and vegetables to the network of Extended Day, Extended Year (EDEY) and Community School across the city—ensuring that thousands of Philadelphia families have reliable access to healthy food where their children learn and grow.
“By bringing fresh produce directly to schools, we’re making sure that our students and families have what they need to thrive—inside and outside the classroom,” said Mayor Cherelle L. Parker. “This is One Philly in action—partnerships, people, and purpose coming together to strengthen our communities.”
“We know that when students are fed, they have the energy needed to focus on learning. We recognize the external economic pressures that can create obstacles for families, so we are thankful to Aramark and our partnership with the City of Philadelphia for creating the One Philly Produce Project so that families can conveniently pick up healthy food when they pick up their children from school,” said Tony. B Watlington, Sr., Ed.D., superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia. “The District prioritizes forging strong partnerships that allow us to collectively support accelerated student achievement as we become the fastest improving, large urban school district in the nation.”
The initial partnership began two years ago when the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention Division partnered with the Mayor’s Office of Education, Sharing Excess and Food Connect to launch a fresh produce distribution pilot program at 14 Community Schools where families had identified a need for more healthy food access.
“The One Philly Produce Project is a powerful way to support our students and families where they are — at their schools,” said Laura Crandall, Director of Food Security Initiatives, Office of Children and Families. “But, anyone in Philadelphia can visit the public Food and Meal Finder to find free food and meal sites near them, with search tools and language options to make it easy for everyone.”
The City of Philadelphia’s Food and Meal Finder can be found at www.phila.gov/food.
Last year, the One Philly Produce Project delivered over 105,000 pounds of fresh produce to families across 15 Community and EDEY schools, serving an average of 130 families per distribution. The Aramark donation will activate the remaining 28 schools in the City’s network of Extended Day and Community Schools, greatly increasing the number of families the Produce Project will serve.
“Thanks to Aramark, the Produce Project is on track to distribute over 300,000 pounds of fresh produce—tripling the amount reached last year,” said Chief Deputy Mayor Vanessa Garrett-Harley. “The impact of the EDEY initiative, now in its second year, continues to grow in deeply meaningful ways for students and their families.”
“I’m so pleased that in addition to fun and engaging programs like Winter Break Camp and specialized enrichment offerings, like Future Doctors Teach here at Vare-Washington, our EDEY schools will provide fresh food during this critical time,” said Philadelphia Chief Education Officer Dr. Debora Carrera.
“At Aramark, we have always been focused on strengthening the communities we serve, and Philadelphia holds a special place in our hearts as both our global headquarters and our hometown,” said Marc Bruno, US Chief Operations Officer, Aramark. “We are deeply committed to the well-being and vitality of Philadelphia and its residents and we’re proud to partner with the City by investing in this worthy project.”
According to the School District of Philadelphia’s 2022 Household Food Insecurity Report, 27% of students reported not having enough food at home in the past month, and 20% of families faced food insecurity. National data from Feeding America shows Philadelphia’s food insecurity rate is 17.6%, with over 103,000 children—nearly one in three—experiencing hunger.
The One Philly Produce Project responds to that need by:
• Acquiring surplus produce from local vendors through Sharing Excess
• Transporting food efficiently to schools via Food Connect
• Empowering students and staff to organize food distributions and nutrition education events
“Food Connect is proud to provide the logistics and delivery network that keeps fresh food moving where it’s needed most,” said Aurica Donovan, Vice President, Impact, Food Connect. “Partnerships like this keep Philadelphia nourished and resilient, especially in times of crisis.”
“This expansion shows the power of collaboration,” said Sarah DiPasquale, Head of Food Rescue Operations, Sharing Excess. “By redistributing surplus produce that would otherwise go to waste, we’re not only feeding families, we’re empowering schools to be hubs for families to access valuable food and foster community connection.”
—
About the Extended Day, Extended Year (EDEY) Initiative
EDEY schools provide free before- and after-school enrichment and two months of fun and engaging camps throughout the year that help students explore new interests while giving working parents reliable support.
About Community Schools
Philadelphia’s Community Schools, operated by the Mayor’s Office of Education, coordinate city and nonprofit resources to remove barriers to learning and promote student success.
###