This nominee is promoting working to create a more nourished future through their impactful contributions to food security and sustainability.

Philadelphia’s SustainPHL Awards highlights and celebrates these community changemakers. Join us to honor them and announce the recipient at the SustainPHL Awards on October 19th at the Academy of Natural Sciences. 

Get Fresh Daily

Get Fresh Daily demonstrates the importance of bringing gardening and fresh produce to underserved neighborhoods. This organization operates from a safe space and hosts community events with a focus on Black empowerment, fostering plant knowledge, and promoting green initiatives within the community. They serve as a shining example of the potential of community gardens, featuring edible vegetables and native pollinators.

During the pandemic, Get Fresh Daily initiated their “fresh boxes” program, delivering produce and recipes to underserved areas, and they continue this mission with open garden days where people can learn about their ecosystem. They also empower youth with gardening expertise, paving the way for future community green spaces. Black women lead this organization, operating out of the Freedom Gardens space near Malcolm X Park, deeply embedded in the community and actively welcoming individuals. The organization’s impact extends to inspiring individuals to start their gardens, offering vegan cooking classes, and hosting a free community Juneteenth BBQ. You can find more about their work on their website and social media.

Rebel Ventures

Rebel Ventures is a unique healthy food business and nonprofit entity operated by high school students and assisted by Penn students. It encompasses both a non-profit business entity and a high school program. Their flagship product, Rebel Crumbles, is a nutritious crumble cake, and it has become a staple in schools throughout the School District of Philadelphia and Archdiocesan schools. Remarkably, it is the first known school food item entirely created by youth.

Rebel Ventures is primarily an educational initiative where students engage in real-world entrepreneurship and learn about the food system. They tackle both practical and abstract challenges, such as calculating nutritional content and making sourcing decisions. The Rebel Crew collaborates, researches, and makes decisions collectively. Beyond these food-related skills, high school students involved with Rebel Ventures receive academic mentorship, develop professional skills, and receive support for college access.

Rebel Ventures emphasizes core values of teamwork, youth empowerment, and radical creativity. Supported by Penn’s Netter Center for Community Partnerships and various local organizations, they successfully introduced Rebel Crumbles into the community in 2017.

Philly Food Rescue | Share Food Program

Share Food Program’s Philly Food Rescue program (PFR) achieved a remarkable feat by rescuing and redistributing over 5 million pounds of surplus food in 2022, and they are poised to rescue even more in 2023. This program addresses both food justice and climate justice issues by diverting surplus food from landfills and ensuring it reaches those in need, contributing to a more sustainable city.

PFR collaborates with local grocery stores, restaurants, and businesses to rescue millions of pounds of food, which is then distributed to Share’s extensive network of over 120 food pantries in Philadelphia and its surrounding counties. Additionally, PFR plays a crucial role in stocking most of the community fridges in Philadelphia, further reducing food waste and promoting sustainability.

For food that cannot be rescued, PFR has a partnership with Bennett Compost, a service that regularly collects food waste. Moreover, the program engages a network of local volunteers from Philadelphia and its surrounding areas who sign up through an app to conduct food rescues regularly. Some volunteers even choose to do rescues on bikes, reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the process.

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Julie Hancher is Editor-in-Chief of Green Philly, sharing her expertise of all things sustainable in the city of brotherly love. She enjoys long walks in the park with local beer and greening her travels, cooking & cat, Sir Floofus Drake. View all posts by Julie Hancher