The Food Trust facts for kids
The Food Trust is a special group that helps people. It's a nonprofit organization, which means it works to help others instead of making money for owners. It started in 1992 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, thanks to a person named Duane Perry. Today, Yael Lehmann is in charge.
The main goal of The Food Trust is to make kids and grown-ups healthier. They do this by helping everyone get better food. They work with neighborhoods, schools, grocery stores, farmers, and even people who make laws. Their plan is to teach people about healthy eating and make sure healthy, affordable food is easy to find.
Right now, The Food Trust runs 25 farmer's markets in the Philadelphia area. At these markets, people can use different ways to pay for food, like SNAP/food stamps (EBT/Access cards), Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program vouchers, and Philly Food Bucks. The Food Trust gets its money from special groups, government help, and people who donate.
How The Food Trust Started
The Food Trust began its journey in 1992. Back then, it was called The Farmers’ Market Trust. Its first job was teaching kids in city neighborhoods about healthy eating. These classes happened at Reading Terminal Market, a big farmer's market in Philadelphia.
Soon after, the group opened its very first farmer's market. This market was at Tasker Homes, a place where many families live in the Grays Ferry neighborhood of Philadelphia. Once a week, with help from the people living there, the small team set up a table full of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Duane Perry, who started The Food Trust, remembers how special it was. He said, "People hadn’t seen that kind of quality produce in their neighborhood before." For more than 20 years since that first market, The Food Trust has kept working hard. They partner with neighborhoods, schools, stores, farmers, and lawmakers. Their goal is to help people understand healthy food better and make it easier to find, not just in Philadelphia but all over the country.
Working with Partners
The Food Trust doesn't work alone. They have important partners to help them reach their goals. One big partner is the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative (FFFI). This is a special project that works with both private groups and the government.
Since 2004, the FFFI has helped fund 83 supermarket projects across Pennsylvania. This project has spent $85 million to help open or improve stores that sell fresh food. It has helped create or keep more than 5,023 jobs in 34 counties in Pennsylvania. The Reinvestment Fund, another group, helps manage this important project.
In 2013, these groups launched something called the Healthy Food Access Portal. This is like an online library. It brings together lots of information, tools, and ideas for people who want to help communities get healthy food. This website uses facts and resources to give communities what they need. It helps them plan and start projects that make healthy food easier to find. This is especially helpful in neighborhoods where people have lower incomes or are from different backgrounds.
The Food Trust also holds events with other helpful groups. These include the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger and Philabundance. These partnerships help them do even more good work in the community.
Where to Find The Food Trust Markets
The Food Trust runs many farmer's markets in and around Philadelphia. These markets make it easier for people to buy fresh, healthy food close to home. Here are some of their market locations:
- 10th & Germantown - 10th Street at Germantown Avenue
- Schuylkill River Park - 25th Street at Spruce Street
- Frankford Transportation Center - Bustleton Avenue at Frankford Avenue
- Kingsessing - 58th Street at Chester Street
- Haddington Friday - 52nd Street at Haverford Avenue
- Strawberry Mansion - North 33rd Street at Diamond Street
- Palmer Park - Frankford Avenue at East Palmer Street
- Norris Square - West Susquehanna Avenue at Howard Street
- Schuylkill River Park - 25th Street at Spruce Street
- Point Breeze - 22nd Street at Tasker Street
- Oxford Circle - Oxford Circle Mennonite Church, 900 East Howell Street
- Broad & Ritner - Broad Street at Ritner Street
- Grays Ferry - 29th Street at Wharton Street
- Fairmount - 22nd Street at Fairmount Avenue
- Broad & South - Broad Street at South Street
- Cecil B. Moore - Cecil B. Moore Avenue at Broad Street
- Overbrook Farms - Overbrook Presbyterian Church, Lancaster Avenue at City Avenue
- Germantown - Germantown Avenue at Walnut Lane
- Clark Park Thursday - 43rd Street at Baltimore Avenue
- Hunting Park - West Hunting Park Avenue at Old York Road
- Haddington Wednesday - 52nd Street at Haverford Avenue
- Olney Transportation Center - Broad Street at Olney Street
- West Oak Lane - Ogontz Avenue at 72nd Avenue
- Cliveden Park - Chew Avenue at Johnson Street
- Headhouse - 2nd Street at Lombard Street
