Media Coverage

2024
- Hunger Isn't About Food; It's About Power
  
  The MIT Press Reader
  
  Oct 15, 2024
  
  The Center along with its programs were mentioned in an interview by Center founder Mariana Chilton about her recently released book.
  
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- Overcoming the Financial Costs of SDoH: 3 Ways Providers Can Help
  
  Health IT Consultant
  
  Sep 18, 2024
  
  The Center's work by doctoral student Emily Brown Weida was referenced in an article on how healthcare providers can have a positive impact on social determinant of health (SDoH) through considering financial health.
  
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- Welfare is a Jealous Polygamist
  
  American Insititute for Economic Research
  
  Sep 16, 2024
  
  The Center's 2010 policy brief "Earning More, Receiving Less" was referenced in an article about the negative impact of public assistance programs on women.
  
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- Bank of America will raise its minimum wage to $24 to attract and keep workers
  
  WWJ Newsradio 950
  
  Sep 10, 2024
  
  The Center's minimum wage brief was included in a story about Bank of America increasing wages for works to $24 per hour.
  
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- Partnerships and Projects: Drexel’s Recent Industry and Civic Engagement Connections
  
  Drexel University College of Arts and Sciences
  
  Jun 18, 2024
  
  The Center's work was mentioned in two items in a snapshot of community and industry partnerships and civically engaged coursework in the winter 2024 term highlighted by the Provost.
  
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- Groundbreaking Documentary Addresses Food Insecurity in the Nation's Poorest Major City
  
  FOX 4
  
  May 28, 2024
  
  Center Director Mariana Chilton was quoted in an article announcing the release of "I'm Hungry In Philadelphia: The Many Faces of Food Insecurity," a pioneering documentary that confronts the city's food insecurity crisis head-on.
  
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- Enhancing Financial Literacy In The Workplace: Eight Characteristics Of Distinguished Instructors
  
  Forbes
  
  May 01, 2024
  
  A Center journal article was cited in a Forbes article discussing the benefits of workplace financial education.
  
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- Why we should teach kids about money at an early age
  
  The Star
  
  Mar 26, 2024
  
  Research led by Center staff member Emily Weida was referenced in an article about teching children finances at an earlier age.
  
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- Cashless businesses are banned in Philadelphia. How do concert and sport venues get around it?
  
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  Mar 14, 2024
  
  The Building Wealth and Health Network's senior financial empowerment coach Raheem Stevenson was quoted in an article on concert and sports venues going "cashless" despite Philadelphia policies that do not allow businesses to deny cash for payment. He shared about the challenges and stigma for people who are unbanked when cash is not accepted.
  
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- Coming Together for National Public Health Week 2024 at Dornsife
  
  Dornsife School of Public Health
  
  Mar 08, 2024
  
  The Center for Hunger-Free Communities collaborated with Dornsife's Collective Resilience Fellows to facilitate a workshop on empathetic listening during National Public Health Week.
  
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- Heartfelt Insights on Public Health Practice from the Dornsife Community
  
  Dornsife School of Public Health
  
  Feb 29, 2024
  
  Center for Hunger-Free Communities staff partnered with the Dornsife School of Public Health Collective Resilience Fellows to explore the power of love in public health and foster genuine connections through active listening and emotional expression.
  
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- VCU researchers team up with Salvation Army to promote financial literacy for Richmond families while targeting the roots of poverty
  
  VCU News
  
  Feb 15, 2024
  
  Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University are working with The Salvation Army Central Virginia Area Command to pilot the Building Wealth and Health Network, a program that will provide tools for financial empowerment to those living in poverty in the Richmond area.
  
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- What the Kyte Baby Drama Reveals About Paid Leave For Adoptive Parents
  
  PopSugar
  
  Feb 06, 2024
  
  Center staff member Natalie Shaak was quoted in an article about access to paid family leave programs for adoptive families.
  
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- Summer EBT program expands food assistance to students across the Delaware Valley
  
  WHYY
  
  Jan 15, 2024
  
  Center staff member Natalie Shaak was quoted in an article about the impact of Summer EBT programs that were recently made permanent by the federal government.
  
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2023
- Pandemic-Era Benefits Are Long Gone. Philly Advocates Are Trying to Bridge the Gap for Families Living in Poverty
  
  WHYY
  
  Oct 12, 2023
  
  Center Director Mariana Chilton and Network members Alisha Gillespie and Kia McCray were featured in WHYY story about the Child Tax Credit and others bridging the gap for Philadelphia families living in poverty.
  
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- Nearly Two-thirds of Lowest-paid Workers Are Women, Study Finds
  
  Women's Media Center
  
  Sep 28, 2023
  
  Data from the Center for Hunger-Free Communities minimum wage brief was cited in an article about gender pay disparities.
  
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- 'Bidenomics’ has helped low-income Americans. But in poor cities like Philadelphia, it’s still a tough sell.
  
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  Jul 25, 2023
  
  Center Director Mariana Chilton was quoted in an article about President Biden's economic plan to help low-income Americans. Some efforts have made an impact, but some people are still looking for more from the Biden administration.
  
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- Philly City Council considers forming a reparations task force. What does that mean?
  
  Billy Penn
  
  Jun 19, 2023
  
  Center Director Mariana Chilton was quoted in an article about Philadelphia City Council members proposing the formation of a task force to explore Philadelphia's role in U.S. slavery and compensation for Black descendants impacted by slavery.
  
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- 485,000 Philly residents are seeing their food assistance slashed as extra SNAP benefits expire
  
  Billy Penn
  
  Mar 07, 2023
  
  Work of the Center for Hunger-Free Communities was referenced in an article about college food insecurity in the Binghamton University newspaper.
  
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- Food Insecurity Addressed by BU Food Pantry
  
  Pipe Dream
  
  Feb 27, 2023
  
  Work of the Center for Hunger-Free Communities was referenced in an article about college food insecurity in the Binghamton University newspaper.
  
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- Drexel Staff Members Seek Paid Family Leave
  
  The Triangle
  
  Feb 24, 2023
  
  Staff members from Drexel’s Public Health department have begun work on developing a policy brief to discuss the impacts of paid leave among professional staff. Among the Public Health staff advocates is Natalie Shaak, operations manager for the Center for Hunger-Free Communities and chair of the Dornsife School of Public Health Staff Coordinating Committee.
  
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2022
- Why the optimal minimum wage in the US is at least $12 an hour
  
  Quartz
  
  Nov 23, 2022
  
  The Center's policy action brief on the minimum wage was cited in an article exploring the ideal minimum wage to address food insecurity.
  
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- WESA Candidate Survey: Alison Duncan and Rob Mercuri on the issues
  
  90.5 WESA
  
  Sep 30, 2022
  
  The Center's policy brief on the minimum wage was cited by a candidate running for state Pennsylvania State House of Representatives in Allegheny County in a statement regarding changing the Pennsylvania state minimum wage.
  
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- ‘I felt like I failed’: inflation puts healthy food out of reach for millions of Americans
  
  The Guardian
  
  Sep 30, 2022
  
  Witnesses to Hunger New Haven member Kim Hart and Center Director Mariana Chilton were featured in an article highlighting the impact of inflation on food costs and how that is increasing the risk for diet-related diseases long-term.
  
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- Hunger and the Politics of Food
  
  Radio Times / WHYY
  
  Sep 29, 2022
  
  The Center's director Mariana Chilton was interviewed in a radio segment discussing food insecurity in the Philadelphia region, the connection to chronic disease and the domestic policies that make it harder for families to eat well as a follow up to the White House's conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health.
  
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- What is food insecurity? How Philly navigates hunger, food deserts, and access to good food.
  
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  Aug 08, 2022
  
  The Center's director Mariana Chilton was interviewed for an article explaining what food insecurity is, how it impacts the Philadelphia region, and the important approaches necessary to address the root causes of it.
  
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- The average S&P 500 CEO makes $18.3 million a year, but the minimum wage hasn't changed since 2009. It's time for companies to pay up.
  
  Business Insider
  
  Jul 28, 2022
  
  The Center's policy memo on CEO wage tax legislation was recently cited in a Business Insider article about proposed policies to narrow the nation's growing wage gap.
  
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- Summer is No Break for Students With Food Insecurity
  
  Mary Christie Institute
  
  Jul 18, 2022
  
  Center Operations Manager Natalie Shaak was quoted in an article discussing college student food insecurity during the summer months.
  
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- Does Federal Minimum Wage Still Matter?
  
  Law360
  
  Jun 14, 2022
  
  Center Operations Manager Natalie Shaak was quoted in an article discussing the need to continue the federal minimum wage when a majority of states have minimum wages above the federal wage floor and private employers are raising their lowest wages to compete for workers. She, and many experts agree, the federal minimum wage still matters.
  
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- Inflation Is Sending State Wage Floors Above $15 An Hour
  
  Law360
  
  Jun 08, 2022
  
  Center Operations Manager Natalie Shaak was quoted in an article discussing the impact of inflation on wages, including inflation indexing provisions as part of minimum wage increases.
  
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- Global Citizen Prize Winner Barbie Izquierdo Knows the Realities of Hunger. Now She's Fighting So Others Don't Have To.
  
  Global Citizen
  
  May 17, 2022
  
  Former Witnesses to Hunger member Barbie Izquierdo was awarded the 2022 Global Citizen Prize for using her lived experience and expertise to advocate for an end to hunger, address the crisis of poverty, and combat the stigma around them.
  
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- Biden sets goal to end U.S. hunger by 2030, planning a White House summit
  
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  May 04, 2022
  
  The Center's Director Mariana Chilton was quoted in an article about President Joe Biden's announcement Wednesday to hold a White House summit on hunger in September, only the second in U.S. history.
  
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- 21 States Raised The Minimum Wage in 2022, But Living Costs Are Rising Faster
  
  Teen Vogue
  
  Apr 08, 2022
  
  The Center's 2021 brief focused on the federal minimum wage was referenced in an article exploring recent increases in the minimum wage throughout the U.S. and whether it is a true living wage.
  
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- Is a $15 Minimum Wage Enough?
  
  Law360
  
  Apr 07, 2022
  
  Center staff member Natalie Shaak was quoted in an article exploring if a $15 minimum wage is a sufficient wage floor.
  
  Discussing data from a the Center's 2021 brief, she shared that $15 isn't enough, given living costs such as housing, child care and food. "Even in the lowest-cost-of-living state, which would be Mississippi, people are still not going to be able to live on $15 an hour."
  
  Even the higher "living wages" that are shared do not taking into account people being able to save for an emergency, buy a house so they're no longer renting, or develop any kind of wealth to pull themselves out of poverty," Shaak said.
  
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- Durham launches long-awaited guaranteed basic income program
  
  WRAL TV Durham
  
  Mar 31, 2022
  
  A policy brief from the Center was referenced in an article about a guaranteed income program launching in Durham, North Carolina.
  
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- Low-income Philadelphians to receive no-strings-attached cash in antipoverty experiments
  
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  Feb 13, 2022
  
  Center director Mariana Chilton was quoted in an article about the City of Philadelphia introducing two guaranteed income pilot programs that will distribute money to low-income residents with no strings attached to support household stability and economic well-being.
  
  She said that UBI is worth the expense because it “helps people stay healthy and in school or on the job, it reduces mental health problems, and has no impact on employment rates.”
  
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- If You Bake It, Can You Sell It? A ‘Right to Food’ Movement Grows.
  
  Christian Science Monitor
  
  Jan 31, 2022
  
  Center director Mariana Chilton was quoted in an article about Maine's recent "right to food" amendment which states “natural, inherent and unalienable right” to produce, consume, and perhaps sell food they grew or raised, a concept central to food sovereignty. While she felt the vote was a good first step, she pointed out that deregulation does not go far enough to ensure people will be free from hunger or food insecurity.
  
  “People who are poor don’t have the time, they don’t have the land, they don’t have the private property in which they can grow their own stuff,” says Dr. Chilton. “I think that we need more provisions that ensure the conditions in which everyone has access to food, and that would be about ensuring the appropriate economic conditions.”
  
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- Money given to low-income mothers affects their infants’ brain activity, a study shows
  
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  Jan 26, 2022
  
  Center director Mariana Chilton was quoted in an article about a new study looking at the impact on infant brain activity after their mothers were given infusions of cash that made life easier. The study comes at a time when the federal government’s expansion of the child tax credit (CTC), which kept millions of families out of poverty, has expired with Congress showing little interest in allowing it to continue.
  
  “How many millions of dollars of research does it take to prove the obvious — that parents of young children need time and financial supports to help their children grow and flourish? Do we really need expensive brain scans to tell us what to do?”
  
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- Fighting Hunger and Racial Injustice on this Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Every Day
  
  Lancaster Online
  
  Jan 17, 2022
  
  The Center's research on hunger and discrimination was cited in a letter to the editor from the head of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank discussing the need to address racial injustice in order to address hunger, food insecurity, and poverty and the goals of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
  
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- Community Fridges Rose From the Pandemic to Address Hunger in Philly
  
  Philly Voice
  
  Jan 15, 2022
  
  Center director Mariana Chilton was quoted in an article about Philadelphia's community fridges. She notes that mutual aid approaches offer an alternative to stigma and discrimination-filled public assistance programs such as SNAP.
  
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- Letter to the Editor: Racial Injustice and Hunger
  
  NorthCentralPA.com
  
  Jan 13, 2022
  
  The Center's research on hunger and discrimination was cited in a letter to the editor from the head of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank discussing the need to address racial injustice in order to address hunger, food insecurity, and poverty and the goals of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
  
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- New Guaranteed Income Experiments Give Away Hundreds of Dollars Each Month to Address Wealth Gap
  
  People
  
  Jan 12, 2022
  
  The Center for Hunger-Free Communities' recent policy brief on universal basic income, or UBI, was referenced in an article looking at guaranteed income programs receiving increased attention in recent years as a way to curb economic inequality in the U.S.
  
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- Biden's child tax credit is withdrawn, causing anger and concern
  
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  Jan 09, 2022
  
  The one-year expansion on the child tax credit expired in December, leaving millions of families to struggle to stay out of poverty yet again. Center Director Mariana Chilton weighed in on the lapse.
  
  “Allowing the expanded child tax credit to expire is yet another demonstration of the U.S. government’s intentional neglect of families with children, a clear example of legislative violence.” Chilton espouses universal basic income, a proposed government program in which every adult citizen receives a set amount of money regularly.
  
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2021
- New legislation would increase Pennsylvania welfare benefits
  
  Philly Voice
  
  Oct 27, 2021
  
  State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta announced a new bill alongside the Meet the Need Coalition, a statewide group of organizations advocating for TANF. The coalition includes Pennsylvania Health Access Network, Community Legal Services, Just Harvest, the Black Women's Policy Agenda and the Building Wealth and Health Network. State Sen. Katie Muth, a Democrat representing suburban Philadelphia, introduced a companion bill in the Senate.
  
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- Inside Philadelphia’s Thriving Community Fridge Movement
  
  Next City
  
  Oct 27, 2021
  
  Community fridges are a grassroots mutual aid effort to address food insecurity that is urgently needed. Philadelphia is the poorest big city in America, with a poverty rate of 23.3%, more than double the nationwide rate of 11.4%.
  
  Center Director Mariana Chilton supports the mutual aid effort as an alternative to the humiliation and stigma associated with government assistance programs but notes they unfortunately do not address the root causes of hunger.
  
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- Pa. uses taxpayer money to fund antiabortion organization
  
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  Oct 25, 2021
  
  Pennsylvania is one of 14 states that directly fund the anti-abortion movement through state dollars, some of it with money diverted from TANF cash assistance, which should be used for people living in poverty. Center Director Mariana Chilton calls this what it is: "a form of racism and sexism."
  
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- Food insecurity rose ‘significantly’ in households with children and among people of color, report finds
  
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  Sep 08, 2021
  
  New USDA report shows food insecurity rose for people living in Black and Hispanic households, even though the overall U.S. food insecurity rate of 10.5%, or 13.8 million households, remained the same between 2019 and 2020. Center Director Mariana Chilton ways in.
  
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- I’m forced to live off $205 a month under Pa.’s outdated welfare system
  
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  Aug 20, 2021
  
  This week marks the 25th anniversary of so-called welfare reform, which produced the program of cash assistance known as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Network member Leona Brown shares the challenges she faces trying to get by with two kids on the limited cash assistance she receives on TANF.
  
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- 25 years after welfare reform, the system is pared down as intended. But critics say the program is failing.
  
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  Aug 13, 2021
  
  Next Sunday marks the 25th anniversary of so-called welfare reform, which produced the program of cash assistance known as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Some scholars and advocates, including Center Director Mariana Chilton and Network member Alisha Gillespie, say what’s developed isn’t reform but a “punitive,” “racist,” “dehumanizing” institution that does little to ameliorate poverty.
  
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- Reducing Child Poverty by Expanding Child Tax Credits
  
  WHYY
  
  Jul 21, 2021
  
  Center for Hunger-Free Communities Director Mariana Chilton and Building Wealth and Health Network members Imani Sullivan and Alisha Gillespie discuss the impact of the new child tax credits on child poverty.
  
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- Cash From Child Tax Credit Lands In Family Bank Accounts Across Mountain West
  
  KUNC
  
  Jul 15, 2021
  
  Center Director Mariana Chilton was quoted in an article about the new child tax credit payments that began being distributed in July.
  
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- COVID-19, Kids and Food
  
  KCUR 89.3
  
  Jun 01, 2021
  
  Center Director Mariana Chilton was part of a discussion on factors that cause hunger including, discrimination and government policies.
  
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- A Hungry Child's First Thousand Days
  
  Washington Monthly
  
  May 27, 2021
  
  Research from the Grow Clinic which began at the Center for Hunger-Free Communities is discussed in this article about malnourished children.
  
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- Pandemic Makes Childhood Hunger Worse Experts Say; Inadequate Food Threatens Children’s Health
  
  Fox 8 - WVUE-TV
  
  May 19, 2021
  
  Center Director Mariana Chilton was quoted in an article looking at the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on childhood hunger in Louisiana following a SciLine press briefing.
  
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- This is How the City Must Tackle Behavioral Health Needs with the American Rescue Plan Money
  
  Generocity
  
  Apr 14, 2021
  
  The Building Wealth and Health Network was mentioned in an article by guest columnist Joe Pyle where he says "Addressing the behavioral health needs of all Philadelphians will require robust, cross-sector interventions across a spectrum of health promotion, prevention and early intervention, treatment, and maintenance."
  
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- Editorial: Can We Turn the Corner on Hunger?
  
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  Apr 08, 2021
  
  The Center for Hunger-Free Communities was mentioned in a staff editorial for work with Community Legal Services to make more permanent changes to public assistance by increasing SNAP funds available to families.
  
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- President Biden’s Economic Relief Package Could Cut Childhood Poverty in Half — But It’s Only Temporary
  
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  Jan 25, 2021
  
  President Joe Biden has announced a lofty goal in the opening days of his administration: Cut the rate of childhood poverty in half.
  
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- Philadelphia Scholars Back Global Report Warning of Climate Change’s Irreversible Effects
  
  KYW NewsRadio
  
  Jan 06, 2021
  
  In 2018, British scholar Jem Bendell predicted climate change will result in a “societal collapse” by 2030, involving starvation, migration, disease, war, and disruptions in power and social systems — which, obviously, stirred widespread panic and criticism.
  
  Naysayers claim Bendell’s report, titled “Deep Adaptation,” is not backed by science. However, his recently revised report now has 500 scholars worldwide endorsing his estimates, including some from the Delaware Valley.
  
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2020
- Half of American Families Say They Fear a Hungry Holiday Season
  
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  Nov 25, 2020
  
  Looking ahead to the next four weeks, 56% of households with children nationwide are “not very confident” they will be able to afford needed food. Nine percent said they are “not at all confident.” In Pennsylvania, 52% of households are “not very confident"; in New Jersey, the number is 55%.
  
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- YHHAP Discusses Policing, Incarceration and Homelessness with Panel of Experts
  
  Yale Daily News
  
  Nov 17, 2020
  
  On Nov. 14, the Yale Hunger and Homelessness Action Project, a student organization focused on tackling hunger and homelessness in New Haven, hosted a Zoom panel to discuss policing, incarceration and homelessness.
  
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- Pre-COVID-19, Economic Signs Were Up
  
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  Sep 17, 2020
  
  Philadelphia's poverty rate fell and its median household income increased in 2019 — economic developments both hailed for moving the city in the right direction, and dismissed as now irrelevant in the age of COVID-19.
  
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- COVID Threatens Bigger Death Toll From Starvation Than Infection
  
  Bloomberg
  
  Aug 31, 2020
  
  As many as 132 million more people could go hungry as the pandemic exposes ‘cracks in the system’.
  
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- More Americans are going hungry amid the coronavirus pandemic
  
  CBS News
  
  Aug 24, 2020
  
  According to census data, almost 20% of Americans with kids at home could not afford to give their children enough food. Professor Mariana Chilton teaches health management and policy at Drexel University and joins CBSN to discuss how the pandemic has impacted hunger in America.
  
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- Number of households with hungry children nearing 14 million, study finds
  
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  Jul 28, 2020
  
  While the coronavirus isn’t hitting children as hard as adults, the economic effects of COVID-19 appear to be having a disproportionate effect on young people in one vital area: hunger. Food insecurity is rising among American children as the coronavirus savages the economy, diminishing the salaries of parents struggling to feed their kids.
  
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- Close-Knit Communities for Better Outcomes: Using Peer Groups
  
  Networks that Work, University of North Carolina School of Government
  
  Jun 15, 2020
  
  In this podcast, “Close-Knit Communities for Better Outcomes: Using Peer Groups,” we feature the Building Wealth and Health Network, a program designed to incentivize entrepreneurship and self-sufficiency in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.
  
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- Reducing Food Insecurity and Improving Mental Health
  
  News Medical
  
  Jun 11, 2020
  
  As the coronavirus pandemic forces so many to reckon with growing food insecurity and increased health challenges, the Building Wealth and Health Network program of Drexel University's Center for Hunger-Free Communities is reducing food insecurity and improving mental health - without distributing any food or medicine.
  
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- 49 Black Food Experts To Know and Learn From — Nutritionists, Chefs and More
  
  Mind Body Green
  
  Jun 09, 2020
  
  Food can be a form of comfort, solace, fuel, and a connection to one's family and culture. And yes, food should be included in the conversation about racial inequality. In fact, the two are deeply intertwined.
  
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- Census caravan encourages New Haven to be counted, including the undocumented
  
  New Haven Register
  
  May 08, 2020
  
  As of Friday, 46 percent of the city has filled out a form; 38 percent of the city completed it online. 2020 is the first census year where the form is available online.
  
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- COVID-19 Expose Stark Inequalities Across U.S. as Thousand Struggle Daily to Find Food
  
  The Appeal
  
  May 07, 2020
  
  ‘It’s not only poor people standing in food lines, or going to food pantries and soup kitchens. Now you have the middle class and businesses that are suffering, too,’ one organizer said.
  
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- ‘I Know You’re Angry With Me Right Now Because You’re Hungry’
  
  New York Times
  
  May 07, 2020
  
  How parents in food-insecure households are stretching meals and struggling to nourish their kids during the pandemic.
  
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- 'It’s a Bucket Brigade on a 5-Alarm Fire.' Food Banks Struggle to Keep Up With Skyrocketing Demand
  
  TIME
  
  Apr 24, 2020
  
  Until recently, the U.S. economy was sailing through the longest expansion on record—trumpeting record-low jobless rates and a bull stock market. But after just five weeks of recession, tens of millions of Americans are suddenly without the most basic necessities, including food and medical care.
  
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- Big ideas to fight food insecurity as coronavirus threatens a hunger pandemic
  
  KYW 1060AM
  
  Apr 24, 2020
  
  Food insecurity is already an issue all over the world, and sadly, that includes right here in Philadelphia. Mariana Chilton, director of the Center for Hunger-Free Communities and professor at Drexel University joins KYW In Depth to break down why we're facing a hunger crisis, and her ideas about what is needed to fight back.
  
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- Food Insecurity Rises Amid Pandemic
  
  WHYY Radio Times
  
  Apr 23, 2020
  
  Unemployment has skyrocketed under the coronavirus shut-down, leaving many unable to meet their most basic needs. Food pantries across the region have seen an increase in use, where people are lining up for donated food to bring home to their families. Today on the show we’re going to discuss food insecurity in the age of coronavirus – how it’s being handled by local non-profits and by government at all levels.
  
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- Food Banks See Rise In Demand As Donations Dip
  
  Newsy
  
  Apr 21, 2020
  
  Food banks and soup kitchens face a surge in demand due to job loss across the country.
  
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- Frontline Providers Hustle To Keep City Fed
  
  New Haven Independent
  
  Apr 17, 2020
  
  A comprehensive digital guide to food pantries and soup kitchens. A drive-through farmers market with no cap on doubled food stamp dollars. Mutual aid collaborations designed to get food to immigrants in need. Those are among the grassroots efforts in town to make sure New Haveners don’t starve during the Covid-19 pandemic.
  
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- Amazon, Walmart and the low-income grocery-shopping divide exposed by the coronavirus
  
  CNBC
  
  Apr 08, 2020
  
  SNAP program restrictions for online grocery shopping and delivery contribute to public health threats faced by as many as 35 million low-income Americans during the coronavirus.
  
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- Cell phone records show dramatic drop in regional travel outside Philly after governor's COVID-19 order.
  
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  Apr 08, 2020
  
  In the days since, travel in the Philadelphia region has nearly come to a halt, though city residents have remained somewhat more mobile than their suburban and South Jersey counterparts.
  
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- During coronavirus outbreak, telemedicine is an answer - if you're covered
  
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  Mar 19, 2020
  
  To its advocates, telemedicine is the perfect remedy for a pandemic, but not everyone in Pennsylvania can afford to access it.
  
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- Murphy: Congress must focus on stopping coronavirus spread, not bailouts
  
  New Haven Register
  
  Mar 19, 2020
  
  In the most recent stimulus package, Connecticut will receive $400 million for health care, and Murphy said he hopes the next one will create additional nutritional supports.
  
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- Money can buy some protection from coronavirus. But the poor can’t afford it, leaving them more vulnerable
  
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  Mar 14, 2020
  
  As the coronavirus expands in the Philadelphia area, there is growing concern that low-income residents and people in poverty may suffer disproportionately — directly, by getting sick, and indirectly, through disruptions to their work lives.
  
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2019
- New federal report surprises: Philadelphia poverty down, income up
  
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  Sep 26, 2019
  
  Philadelphia's poverty rate, a stark and stubborn indicator of hard times that has long hindered the city's reputation, dropped to its lowest level since 2008 -- near the start of the recession.
  
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- Local programs feed kids healthy meals during summer months
  
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  Jul 10, 2019
  
  The summer months are an uncertain time for many kids who won't get lunch while school isn't in session. There are a number of programs across our area aimed at getting those kids healthy meals. FOX 29's Joyce Evans reports.
  
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- Philadelphia takes a step closer to banning cashless stores in the city
  
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  Feb 05, 2019
  
  As technology gives consumers more ways to pay, including with their smartphones, some stores have gone cashless to improve efficiency, avoid the hassle of handling cash and reduce the risk of robbery. In Philadelphia, that includes the salad chain Sweetgreen and Bluestone Lane, a coffee shop. But proponents of the bill argue that cashless stores effectively discriminate against poor consumers who do not have access to credit or bank accounts, especially in a city with one of the highest poverty levels in the country.
  
  Read More
2018
- Drexel program addresses trauma to help women in poverty save money - and one day create a bank
  
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  Jan 28, 2018
  
  The network aims to break the cycle of poverty by teaching women who have nearly nothing how to save money and to understand finance. Many in the program are teaming with others who've graduated from the network's 16 three-hour sessions to explore the possibility of starting a bank specifically for people who've experienced the worst in life.
  
  Read More

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