Temple University will not hold classes during winter break from Dec. 15 to Jan. 16, and campus will be closed from the end of the business day on Dec. 22 to Dec. 30.
Twenty-nine percent of students enrolled at four-year colleges reported experiencing food insecurity, according to a 2020 survey conducted by the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice.
The Temple News has compiled a list of Philadelphia food resources available to students during break.
The Cherry Pantry
The Cherry Pantry provides students with food and operates on a point system. Students will receive 16 points to spend at the Cherry Pantry per week. Side dishes cost one point, one-meal items cost two points and multiple meal items cost three points, wrote Annette Ditolvo, the program coordinator for the Cherry Pantry, in an email to The Temple News.
In addition, students can visit the pantry once per week, Ditolvo said.
During the week of Dec. 5, students are able to receive two hygiene products in addition to their 16-point allotment for food.
Temple’s Cherry Pantry is located in Room 224A of the Howard Gittis Student Center.
The pantry will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays during the break, except for the week of Jan. 1, when the Cherry Pantry will be open on Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Ditolvo said.
The Drueding Center’s Green Light Food Pantry
The Green Light Food Pantry, located at 413 W. Master St., supplies families in need with healthy food options, including fresh produce, lean proteins like beans and canned fish, whole grain cereals and different types of pasta.
The Green Light Food Pantry also offers cooking and nutrition classes for families in need. The local pantry accepts food donations and asks that those interested in donating consult the list of accepted foods on their website and contact food pantry and volunteer coordinator Linda Croskey at 215-787-3263.
Those in need can sign up to receive one bag of fresh produce and one bag of non-perishable food per month. To sign up, people should call Croskey to schedule a time to receive food.
The Green Light Food Pantry’s hours are Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The pantry will not be open on Dec. 29, Croskey said.
Helen Brown Community Center
The Helen Brown Community Center’s food pantry, located at 1845 N. 23rd St., provides non-perishable food items for community members in need.
The food pantry is open from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and is also open every third Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. No identification is required to receive food.
Donations of non-perishable food items are always accepted, but the community center asks people to call ahead before delivery.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
SNAP helps low-income families in Pennsylvania afford groceries through an electronic benefits transfer system, which allows for SNAP benefits to be placed directly into an account only the recipient can use.
In order to be eligible for SNAP benefits, households must have an income within certain limits depending on housing costs, childcare payments and medical expenses. Those who believe they are eligible can apply at Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services’ website or at their local county assistance office.
Eligible families will receive EBT ACCESS cards, which can be used for food items at participating grocery stores.
Local vendors that accept SNAP benefits include The Fresh Grocer at 1501 N. Broad St., Rite Aid at 1406 Cecil B. Moore Ave., CVS Pharmacy at 1717 N. 12th St. and 7-Eleven at 2034 N. Broad St.
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