More than 400,000 people in Philadelphia are considered food insecure, meaning they do not have access to three meals a day, according to the Hunger Coalition of Philadelphia. Feeding America estimated in 2015 that 26 percent of food-insecure households earned too much to qualify for most federal nutrition assistance programs, including 20 percent of food-insecure children.

FOOD MOXIE’s mission is, “From seed to supper we educate and inspire people to grow, prepare, cook, taste and eat healthy foods.” Our focus at our program sites is to provide opportunities for participants to have hands-on experiences that increase their understanding about growing food and scratch-cooking nutrient-dense whole foods, especially on a budget. We work to do this in ways that maintain our participants’ dignity, and thus we center our programming in trauma-sensitive, participant-informed methods for service delivery. In short, our staff creates consistent programs that recognize our participants’ assets and give them choices.

In providing our programs in the Northwest Philadelphia community, we strive to embody all of Weavers Way’s Ends statements, particularly statements two (“Our community will have access to high quality, reasonably priced food, with an emphasis on local, minimally processed and ethically produced goods”) and seven (“Weavers Way will have a welcoming culture that values diversity, openness, inclusiveness and respect in all that we do”).

Over the next few months, Weavers Way members can help support FOOD MOXIE’s mission in several ways:

• By becoming a Sustainer (www.foodmoxie.org/waystogive/)
• By donating your working member discount through our High Five campaign
• By doing Co-op work hours with us (find shifts online by looking up FOOD MOXIE in the Weavers Way Member Center under “My Shifts.”)
• By buying a raffle ticket for the wonderful quilt donated by Co-op members and local quilters (coming to the Ambler store in April, see photo)
• By donating something on our WISHLIST (coming next Shuttle issue)

Your support helps FOOD MOXIE offer more than 200 learning events a year on growing, preparing, cooking, tasting and eating healthy foods. Thank you, Co-op members, for all your ongoing support!