PHILADELPHIA FOOD ACCESS COLLABORATIVE
MEALS AND MORE GRANT APPLICATION
More than 1 in 4 Philadelphia residents are food insecure. Fighting hunger and helping our
neighbors get back on their feetwill take a comprehensive approach in which every Philadelphian
has a role to play. Philadelphia’s Meals and More initiative uses a proven community
engagement model that empowers citizens to combat hunger and other issues of poverty head on.
The Philadelphia Food Access Collaborative is launching the secord round of the grants for the
Philadelphia Meals and More initiative, which will provide five new $7,500 incentive grants for
emergency meal providers to fund the expansion of their weekly meal service. Each meal will
serve an additional 100 people, addressing the meal gap in across the city, focused in particular
in Center City, West Philadelphia, and Kensington.
The goals of this initiative are to:
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Launch one new meal time each at five existing meal providers
Increase connections to key social services for meal guests
Increase the accessibility of healthy food in congregant settings to improve the health of
guests
Selected providers will receive the resources they need to fight hunger in their
neighborhood including:
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$7,500 in unrestricted funding to support the development of one new weekly meal service;
$1,000 in funds to purchase healthy food from a local food distribution organization;
Support from the Mayor’s Office of Civic Engagement and Volunteer Services and the
Mayor’s Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity to recruit new volunteers and
organizations to assist with meal service;
10 - 15 hours of high quality training for new and existing volunteers and staff in food safety,
healthy food preparation, and links to social services;
Assistance in identifying social service agencies for partnerships to provide social and health
services to guests.
The deadline to apply is Friday, October 17th, 2014.
The Mayor’s Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity (CEO) will support the
meals expension initiative in recruiting and training volunteers to provide meals and to make
connections to vital services. This effort will recruit, train and support 150-200 volunteers to
complete 50 hours of service over the course of the grant year. The initiative is intended to
significantly reduce the gap in available meals versus need in Center City and West Philadelphia,
to improve the physical health of emergency meal guests, and to better address guests’ holistic
needs by creating a pathway to greater personal autonomy.
Expectations of the Provider
Philadelphia Food Access Collaborative | Meals and More Grant Fall, 2014 Application
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PHILADELPHIA FOOD ACCESS COLLABORATIVE
MEALS AND MORE GRANT APPLICATION
Emergency meal providers that are selected for this opportunity will be expected to:
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Launch a new weekly lunch or dinner time that serves a minimum of 100 people each week.
The provider must maintain this new meal time for at least one year. The overall number of
meal times in a week must grow by one—a new meal time cannot result in the removal of a
meal time at another point in the week;
Encourage all volunteers to participate in volunteer training opportunities;
Track volunteers and referrals to social services on a weekly basis via a sign-in/sign-out
sheet;
Track the number of meals served and the usage of on-site services by meal guests;
Send a representative to meet on a monthly basis with other Meals and More providers.
Selection Criteria for Philadelphia Meals and More Providers
The following considerations will be used in our efforts to expand meals and vital services for
those seeking emergency meals in congregant settings:
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Proven Track Record – Selected organizations will have a proven track record of providing
high quality emergency meals and social services in a safe and dignified setting;
Accessibility – Selected organizations will provide services in areas that are easily accessible
to those in need;
Demonstrated ability to launch a new meal time in the short term;
Ability to provide meals in currently underserved time slots and locations (See FAQ for
details)
Demonstrated commitment to increasing access to social services;
Non-discriminatory – Selected organizations will serve anyone who expresses a need, and
will have no additional requirements for guests to obtain a meal beyond those needed to
maintain the overall safety of the guests and staff.
Timeline
Here is the timeline of activities for the Meals and More program:
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Release of application for organizations interested in participating in the Meals and More
initiative (Information will be available on www.SharedProsperityPhila.org) – July to
September, 2014
Deadline to submit a letter of interest – October 17, 2014
Announcement of selected grantees – October 31, 2014
Launch of new meal time – Week of November 28, 2014
How to Apply
Philadelphia Food Access Collaborative | Meals and More Grant Fall, 2014 Application
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PHILADELPHIA FOOD ACCESS COLLABORATIVE
MEALS AND MORE GRANT APPLICATION
Applications can be submitted by mail, by email or online.
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By mail to Mary Horstmann, Philadelphia Food Access Collaborative, c/o CEO, 1234
Market Street, 16th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103
By email to FoodAccessCollab@gmail.com
To apply online, go here: http://goo.gl/FdHB0c
The deadline to apply is Friday, October 17th, 2014.
For more information, please see the FAQ section on the next page.
For any additional questions, contact the Food Access Collaborative Coordinator, Lee Davies at
FoodAccessCollab@gmail.com or at 267-825-7106.
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PHILADELPHIA FOOD ACCESS COLLABORATIVE
MEALS AND MORE GRANT APPLICATION
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Meals and More
1. Who is eligible to apply?
Meal service providers in Philadelphia who serve meals in a safe and dignified setting and
who serve the general public.
2. What does it mean to be safe and dignified?
A safe and dignified setting, at a minimum, allows guests access to hand washing and
bathroom facilities, and ensures they are protected from the elements and physical harm. If
your location does not have these facilities and you would still like to apply, you are
welcome to partner with another organization that has access to these facilities to create the
new meal time.
3. Can a provider apply for two grants to open two new meal times at the same site?
Yes. However, any applicant applying for more than one meal time must demonstrate that
they can adapt to such a large increase in meals served. Organizations can also apply to
serve 200 people or more at a single meal time and receive a grant for $15,000. To qualify
for this opportunity, organizations must demonstrate that they have the physical capacity and
consumer demand for a meal serving 200 guests.
4. Can I use the grant to expand/add a second serving to an existing meal time?
No. The goal of this grant is to create meal service during currently underserved times. To
meet this goal, the grant must be used to create a new meal time.
5. What types of services are included under social services?
Social services connect individuals to needed resources. Some examples of this include
providing access and/or information about health and mental health services such as
substance abuse and STD testing; employment opportunities and supports; support in
applying for public benefits, such as utility assistance programs, food stamps; legal services;
housing and shelter placement services; mail service; and providing clothing or personal care
items
6. What are the preferred days and times for a new meal service?
Preference will be given to times where there is demonstrated need, and a current lack of
resources. This would include (but would not be limited to) dinners at any time, but in
particular on Saturdays and Sundays.
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PHILADELPHIA FOOD ACCESS COLLABORATIVE
MEALS AND MORE GRANT APPLICATION
7. What if my location can’t serve 100 people?
Providers must have the capacity to serve a minimum of 100 guests at the new meal time in
order to be eligible to serve. We encourage you to partner with other organizations that have
available space to serve the meal.
8. What is the purpose of the monthly meeting for providers?
To learn from the experiences of the other grantees and acquire new skills to improve service
to guests.
9. Do I have to apply online?
No. You can mail a hard copy to Lee Davies, Philadelphia Food Access Collaborative, c/o
CEO, 1234 Market Street, 16th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
10. How long am I expected to continue serving this new meal time?
Grantees are required to serve the new meal time for at least one year. Preference will be
given to applicants that prove a long-term commitment to continuing to serve the new meal
time.
11. Can I close for the summer or winter?
No. It is a requirement of our funder that grant recipients are open year round, 52 weeks a
year. Existing meal times that currently close for part of the year can continue to do so.
However, the grant funded meal time must remain open. We will work with grantees to
provide volunteer support for the meal time year round.
12. What area of the city will be served by the program?
The Philadelphia Meals and More program is specifically targeting organizations that serve
residents from Center City, West Philadelphia/Promise Zone and Kensington. However,
providers in other areas are welcome and encouraged to apply.
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PHILADELPHIA FOOD ACCESS COLLABORATIVE
MEALS AND MORE GRANT APPLICATION
Meals and More Application
Philadelphia Food Access Collaborative
If you are interested in becoming a Philadelphia Meals and More site, please provide the
following information. Your application should not exceed four pages.
The deadline to apply is Friday, October 17th, 2014.
Name of Organization:________________________________________________________
Address of
Organization:___________________________________________________________________
Address of Meal Site (if different): _______________________________________________
Contact Person:_______________________________________________________________
Phone Number:_________________________
Email Address:_______________________
Application Checklist
Please check the box to affirm the following statements:
 My organization will serve anyone who needs a meal. The only exceptions will be in
cases of compromising the security of staff or other guests.
 My organization can start a new meal time by November 30th, 2014.
 My organization is a confirmed 501(c)3 non-profit.
 My organization is ServSafe certified, and someone who is ServSafe trained is present at
the prep and serving of all meals.
 Our facility has the space, seating capacity, food storage and cooking equipement to
serve 100 guests each week.
 My organization’s bathrooms and handwashing stations are accessible to meal guests.
 If selected, my organization is prepared to operate a new meal time every week, 52 weeks
out of the year.
 If selected, my organization will track and report weekly volunteers, meal guests, menus,
and service referrals.
Philadelphia Food Access Collaborative | Meals and More Grant Fall, 2014 Application
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PHILADELPHIA FOOD ACCESS COLLABORATIVE
MEALS AND MORE GRANT APPLICATION
1. What are the current times that you provide meals on a weekly basis (Check all that apply)?
 Morning
 Afternoon
 Evening
2. How many people, on average, do you serve at each meal time?
 20-50
 50-100
 More than 100
3. What time and day of the week are you able to launch an additional meal (Check all that
apply)?
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
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PHILADELPHIA FOOD ACCESS COLLABORATIVE
MEALS AND MORE GRANT APPLICATION
4. Where are meals prepared?
 Onsite
 Offsite (If offsite please indicate where on the line below)
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. Provide a brief description of your organization, including your mission, your location, and
a brief history of your experience providing meals and services to vulnerable individuals.
6. Describe what happens when a guest shows up for a meal. For example, they wait outside
for the dining hall to open. Guests go through a dining line to choose food items. After the
meal, guests have access to clothes and showers. etc.
7. In addition to the resources being provided through the Meals and More initiative, what
else would you need to add an additional meal time? How would you go about getting the
additional support/resources?
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PHILADELPHIA FOOD ACCESS COLLABORATIVE
MEALS AND MORE GRANT APPLICATION
8. What services does your organization provide to meal guests in addition to food? How
often are these services available?
9. Do you currently partner with social service agencies to provide onsite services and/or
referrals? If yes, who are your current partners?
10. Please indicate any standards/guidelines you have around your meals (such as nutrition
standards; or the food served such as a vegetable, protein, and starch). If you do not have
any guidelines for meals, please provide some examples of menus that you have served in
the past.
11. Do you currently use volunteers to support meal service? If so, what activities do they
participate in to support meal service? What types of training do they receive, if any?
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PHILADELPHIA FOOD ACCESS COLLABORATIVE
MEALS AND MORE GRANT APPLICATION
12. Do you currently collect information about the guests or meals you serve? If yes, how
often? What information do you collect?
13. How will you sustain this additional meal over time?
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