Official Project Title:
Philadelphia Metro Area Hunger Relief and Community Food Access Study

Completed 2009

The Philadelphia Metro Area Hunger Relief and Community Food Access Study was a joint collaboration of the CSC and Philabundance, a non-profit food distribution system fighting hunger while reducing food waste. The study assessed the spatial relationship between hunger and the distribution of hunger relief services in Philadelphia metro area (Delaware Valley Region - five counties of PA and five counties of NJ). The purpose of this study was to identify areas of need without access to services and those areas without sufficient service capacity to address the levels of need for households in low income neighborhoods.

The study, funded by an $82,000 grant (in three phases) from Philabundance, conducted GIS analyses to find the service gaps for households in low income neighborhoods. Spatial relationships between the food needs low income households, the location of local distribution centers, and the quantities of food provided at each site gave a visual demonstration of the largest geographic gaps in food delivery. Thus the study established the relationship between hunger and the spatial distribution of hunger relief.