Food Systems Innovations in Philadelphia

• A luncheon briefing from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission regarding the Greater Philadelphia Food System Plan, a framework to address regional food issues. 

• Site visits to The Food Trust’s healthy corner store programs.  In addition to ensuring healthy foods are available to underserved communities, these programs have experimented with building in elements such as nutrition education and health screenings. 

• Get to know your colleagues from across the state during this networking opportunity at the Independence Foundation with members of Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Health Funders Collaborative, the Greater Philadelphia Food Funders group and Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia

• Arrangements will be made at a variety of near-by restaurants for the opportunity to continue to engage on your own with like-minded colleagues, based on shared funding interests.

• We will gather at Broad Street Ministry over breakfast to learn more about the organization and to have a briefing with food policymakers, coordinated by PA Health Funders Collaborative. Executive Director of PA Health Funders Collaborative, Ann Torregrossa, will moderate a conversation around policy issues effecting food insecurity in Pennsylvania.  Speakers include:

• Keynote: Karen Murphy, PA Secretary of Health 
• Dr. Giridhar Mallya, Director of Policy and Planning, Philadelphia Department of Public Health
• Rev. Bill Golderer, Founding Pastor and Convener of the Broad Street Ministry in Philadelphia

• Site visits.  At each program, we will be joined by a Philadelphia grantmaker who has funded the program as well as a program leader:
  • A distribution center (Common Market) (lunch included at this stop)
  • An urban farm (Greensgrow Farm)
  • A food bank organization (Greenlight Pantries) 

Please note: A regularly updated and fully detailed agenda is available in the "Program Documents" section below.

Eligible Registrants

• Funding organizations throughout Pennsylvania are welcome to register for this two-day program. 

• Nonprofit leaders may register by invitation only.  

• The program charge is $195 per person for members of GWP, PHFC and invited nonprofit leaders. 

• If your funding organization is not a member of GWP, PHFC or PNGP, the program charge is $295 per person.

Travel

• All participants are responsible for the cost of travel to and from Philadelphia.  Please let GWP know if you are interested in ride-sharing and we will be happy to connect members with one another.

• Transportation will be provided on June 1 and 2 between the hotel (see below) and program sites.

• All participants are responsible for the cost of lodging and for making their own hotel reservations.  Please note that hotel accommodations in downtown Philadelphia are extremely tight (it’s graduation season).  We encourage you to register for this program and make your reservations as early as possible.

• GWP has booked a block of rooms at Wyndham Philadelphia Historic District at a group-rate of $239 per night. Update: Rooms in block are filled but individual reservations may be available by calling 215-923-8660.