Our Delaware Valley Podcast

Loree Jones, Chief Executive Director of Philabundance discussed hunger in the Delaware Valley.  The area’s largest food pantry supplier, they are seeing hunger rising, today 17% of our children and one in ten people are food insecure.   Philabundance collects food, through donations, restaurants and groceries, produce suppliers and others to distribute to over 600 area pantries.  Their operating mission is to provide nutritious food to all, culturally responsive to the communities, equitably sourced from businesses that are diverse and that reflect their values, and accessible through local organizations within the community.  Loree points out that it’s all for nothing if its food that people don’t want or they can’t get to.   

She discussed the hunger calendar, lots of food comes in during the holidays, but hunger is year-round and many children are going without meals when school is not in session.  She talked about their latest initiative, ‘Let’s Eat’ that delivered meal boxes to their homes.    

Recognizing that hunger is a vicious circle, Philabundance not only works to alleviate hunger today, but also toward ‘Ending Hunger. For Good’ with partnerships that can offer services to help break the cycle of poverty and end hunger for good.  Financial literacy, health services, Housing and job training programming helps families become self-sufficient.  Philabundance itself has a kitchen program that teaches knife skills and job skills, its graduates leave with their Safe Serve certification and a 80+% job placement.  Students operate a Philabundance catering facility, it’s available for both hosting onsite and to cater outside events.  

While hiring catering is an easy way to get involved, she hopes we will also donate and volunteer.  Individuals and businesses can host food drives or raise cash through ‘virtual’ food drives.  She points out that with their buying power a cash donation goes much further.  Volunteers are also needed to sort, box food and transport collected food.  
 
We talked about the annual Camp Out for Hunger, the nation’s largest single location food drive, November 7th through the 11th at Xfinity Live at the Sports Complex.  Free parking and events every day are offered, including a carnival mid-way, live entertainment, a Wednesday night food truck and fireworks party, celebrity guests and stunts hosted by Beasley Media Group WMMR.   The event kicks off Sunday, November 6th with a ‘Fill a Trunk’ car show, local car clubs and collectors will bring donations to the site for a rally.  Businesses and individual are encouraged to donate through Camp Out, onsite or online.  For more information about Philabundance go to philabundance.org

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Action Wellness Senior Development Manager Tim Rissell and Volunteer Coordinator Chris Hayes and AIDS Fund Associate Director Tim Johnson, discussed their work to serve individuals living with HIV.  Tim and Chris  spoke of how the mission of Action Wellness has changed over its history, Starting as Action AIDS,  it addressed the need for ‘buddies’ and caregivers for individuals who were facing death on their own, estranged from families society.  As treatment changed the outlook for most they became Action Wellness, dedicated to helping those with HIV live with their diagnosis, helping them maintain a happier, healthier life.  They spoke of challenges of HIV, they help over 4,000 clients annually with medical case navigation services, housing, return from incarceration, employment, even volunteer opportunities. Tim Johnson discussed the role AIDS Fund plays in their work, his agency provides them and other HIV service providers with emergency financial assistance to cover the costs that can keep clients housed and medially safe. The average grant is about $400, it can take care of a rent deposit, a co-pay or a utilities bill. 

We also discussed the on-going infection rates, HIV preys on the economically disadvantaged and new infection rates are disproportionately higher for African Americans and Latinos.   They spoke about prevention and getting the word about PREP out to these communities, while telling us that testing is lagging.  Even today, many do not know they have been infected, either through fear, the continuing stigma or not realizing they are at risk.  

We discussed the annual AIDS Walk October 16 that funds the emergency grant program.  Kicking off from the Philadelphia Museum of Art there will be a reading of names, a presentation of AIDS Quilt panels, a warm-up stretch and then a leisurely 5K walk.  Learn more at ActionWellness.org or Aidsfundphilly.org

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Sean Kelley, Senior Vice President, Director of Interpretation at East Eastern State Penitentiary discussed the history of one the most famous and expensive prisons in the world.  Known for its grand architecture and strict discipline, this was the world's first true "penitentiary," a prison designed to inspire penitence, or true regret, in the hearts of prisoners.   Designed to look like a castle on the outside and church within, it influenced builders across the world as its methods fell out of favor.  Its solitary cells once held many of America's most notorious lawbreakers, including bank robber "Slick Willie" Sutton and Al Capone.   It closed in 1972, falling into disrepair as the city went through plans to either to replace, rebuild and demolish it.   Finally opened as an historic site, today Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site interprets the legacy of American criminal justice reform, from the nation’s founding through to the present day, with installations and displays aiming to spark conversation and reflection. 

The site also employs the formerly incarcerated, as guides and interpreters and in on-going restoration projects to get them into the pipeline for good-paying trades jobs.   

The site is open daily except for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Day and Thanksgiving.  Admission includes “The Voices of Eastern State" Audio Tour, narrated by actor Steve Buscemi; a Guide-Led Tour and discussion; hands-on experiences and the critically-acclaimed artist installations and award-winning exhibits.

Sean was excited to share the return of their annual award-winning Halloween themed evening event, Halloween Nights.  This year visitors can travel at their own pace, enjoyed five rooms of frights, themed bars and lounges with live entertainment.  It also offers the rare opportunity to tour some of the more popular historic tour experiences by night. 

For more information and tickets visit EASTERNSTATE.org

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Kristin Lowe, Center Director, and Jennifer Hodur, Field Programs Manager and Manager of Families of the Fallen, discussed Liberty USO, The USO of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  The chapter serves active duty military and their families, including the thousands of activated National Guard who are stationed or who are sent to PA on training missions.  Their primary Philadelphia site is at the Philadelphia International Airport, helping military and families passing through on another deployment with food and comfort.  For the military they offer showers, cots, clean clothes and computer time, videos, games and movies.  Families can find diapers, toys and supplies and volunteers ready to help.  For parents deploying without their family, the USO will help them record a video of them reading a book, the book and video are then sent to their kids at home.  The Families of the Fallen is another service at the airport, the closest commercial airport to Dover where fallen military are returned to them.  Volunteers are with them through the journey.

Kristin and Jennifer spoke of their volunteers, they donate thousands of hours each year manning the airport site, packing care packages to send to the deployed local military, creating ‘Battle Buddy’ kits for moms and dads at Mother’s and Fathers Day, back-to-school backpacks for military kids.  They also help families connect through Coffee Hours, family events and fishing events.  For military spouses whose career has been put on hold, they offer resume help and employment counseling.      

They discussed their needs, financial help allows them to expand their services, volunteers staff events and sites and in-kind donations of snacks, paper products and toiletries keep the Airport Center stocked.  They are also in need of toys for their annual holiday party; they will be the recipient of the Beasley station 92.5 XTU’s annual Toy Truck Parade.  

They also talked about events, including the October 14 Swing Dance on the Battleship New Jersey, a fun evening of dancing, silent auctions, swing dancing displays and BBQ.  ‘40s styles are encouraged but not expected, just plan on having a fun evening under the stars on the riverfront.  Tickets are available at libertyuso.org 

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Diane Menio, Executive Director of CARIE, the Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of Elders, discussed their work, advocating for health, safety and dignity, and navigating the health and social services systems to ensure they receive their due entitlements.  We discussed the two major battles for elders, safe and secure housing and access to medical care.  She talked about the difficulties facing many elders in self-management, including lack of transportation and no digital access.  CARIE helps these elders with arranging appointments, legal services, insurance and benefit claims, they investigate elder abuse and fraud and they operate as ombudsmen for nursing homes.  She also spoke of the ongoing problems with long term care, the privitatization of nursing homes has created an unsafe environment with an insurmountable price barrier for most.  She cites the death rates for COVID as an example of the issues elders face, more than 25 times the non-resident population, and they were trapped with no ability to leave or to access family or any oversite services.    While their service region is Philadelphia County CARIE will do referrals for any who reach out to them.  

CARIE.org
Call 800-356-3606

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Kristin Lowe, Center Director, and Jennifer Hodur, Field Programs Manager and Manager of Families of the Fallen, discussed Liberty USO, The USO of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  The chapter serves active duty military and their families, including the thousands of activated National Guard who are stationed or who are sent to PA on training missions.  Their primary Philadelphia site is at the Philadelphia International Airport, helping military and families passing through on another deployment with food and comfort.  For the military they offer showers, cots, clean clothes and computer time, videos, games and movies.  Families can find diapers, toys and supplies and volunteers ready to help.  For parents deploying without their family, the USO will help them record a video of them reading a book, the book and video are then sent to their kids at home.  The Families of the Fallen is another service at the airport, the closest commercial airport to Dover where fallen military are returned to them.  Volunteers are with them through the journey.

Kristin and Jennifer spoke of their volunteers, they donate thousands of hours each year manning the airport site, packing care packages to send to the deployed local military, creating ‘Battle Buddy’ kits for moms and dads at Mother’s and Fathers Day, back-to-school backpacks for military kids.  They also

help families connect through Coffee Hours, family events and fishing events.  For military spouses whose career has been put on hold, they offer resume help and employment counseling.      

They discussed their needs, financial help allows them to expand their services, volunteers staff events and sites and in-kind donations of snacks, paper products and toiletries keep the Airport Center stocked.  They are also in need of toys for their annual holiday party; they will be the recipient of the Beasley station 92.5 XTU’s annual Toy Truck Parade.  

They also talked about events, including the October 14 Swing Dance on the Battleship New Jersey, a fun evening of dancing, silent auctions, swing dancing displays and BBQ.  ‘40s styles are encouraged but not expected, just plan on having a fun evening under the stars on the riverfront.  Tickets are available at libertyuso.org 

Cindy Messerle, CEO of the Lupus Foundation of America, Philadelphia Tri-State Chapter, gave us an update on their mission and upcoming services and events.  She described their goal, a life-free of Lupus, and their work in education, patient support, and advocacy for research money. We discussed the auto-immune disease that can affect anyone, at any time, although 90% diagnosed are women, between the ages of 15 and 40, and people of color are more than twice as likely to develop it.  She noted that because of the variety of symptoms and the disease’s characteristic flare-ups and remissions, most take five years or more to be diagnosed.  The disease can attack any organ, left untreated it can cause kidney, heart and other life-threatening damage.  damage It can isolate a person, they are more vulnerable to infectious disease and the flare up can cause chronic fatigue.  It’s also an expensive disease, many patients are unable to work full time and costs of treatment can top $25,000 a year.  She spoke on the recent treatment breakthroughs, two new drugs and a new indication for an existing one have been approved over the past two years, the first in decades.   She described some of their services, including peer support groups, monthly workshops on living with the disease and a large digital reference library.  Finally, an invitation to join them for their two big fund-raisers, the Lupus Loop and Walk to End Lupus Now at Memorial Hall in Philadelphia on October 30th, and the Walk to End Lupus Now at Tubman-Garrett Park in Wilmington November 13th.   

For more information about them, to volunteer or to get details on the Walks go to lupustristate.org and follow them @Lupustristate.

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Dan Lombardo, President and CEO of Volunteers of America Delaware Valley discussed their history, mission and services.  Established by the son of the founder of the Salvation Army, Volunteers of America looks to meet and serve the vulnerable where they are.  Today that includes immediate direct services such as case management and navigation, links to medical, mental and behavioral care, education, job readiness and housing.  Their legal clinic helps disadvantaged clients to help establish resources and entitlements and they offer a proven reentry program that begins during incarceration to ensure a successful return to freedom.   

Mr Lombardi spoke about unique programming for those experiencing chronic homelessness, looking to find life solutions that can lead to permanent housing.  With the city, they also deliver services for people with traumatic brain injury and they work with people with intellectual or physical disabilities. 

Volunteers of America relies on donations, money, hours and in-kind; he described the need for the basics, clothing and toiletries to allow someone to go back to work, clothing and supplies for children who are displaced.  They host drives throughout the year to help families at back-to-school time and at the holidays.  

For more information on how to volunteer, donate or to receive aid go to VOADV.org

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Megan McNeely, Director of Development at the American Cancer Society, and ‘ReacherHERS’ Dr. Tia Welsh, Gynecologist and Chair of Valley Medical Group and Dr. Chris Conn, Assistant Professor of Radiology Oncology at UPenn and SHE Ambassador discussed the need to get more women into medicine, research and other science careers.  

May was National Cancer Research Month, the American Cancer Society recruits Ambassadors to join their ResearcHERS: Women Fighting Cancer campaign to support the growth and development of female researchers. All proceeds support the direct costs of three important ACS initiatives, funding women-led cancer research grants, supporting paid parental leave for Postdoctoral Fellows in cancer research to help alleviate the challenges of remaining in the workforce while expanding a family and funding the Summer Health Experience (SHE) in Oncology. 

We talked about the better outcomes for women when treated by women physicians, and how research had banned banned women from participating in studies and set up roadblocks for women to conduct them.  Giving them access to high-school and undergraduate programs can lead to a science path in college.  Maternal – and paternal – family leave can help keep them in the field. 

We discussed their career paths, Dr Welsh had attended an all-girls school and always a medical or science career, Dr Conn was only introduced to science in college.  We also discussed breakthroughs such as the HPV vaccine that can prevent cancer, and the barriers of healthcare that keep people from accessing them.

Dr Conn discussed SHE, a two-week virtual program that introduces high school juniors or seniors who identify as female to a wide range of cancer-related career experiences. Students are provided with the equipment they need to complete experiments and classwork.  

For more information about the ACS ResearcHERS and SHE go to ACSResearcHERS.org

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Corporal Denea Durham, Eastern Recruit Supervisor for the Pennsylvania State Police, discussed their needs for a diverse force and their special invitation to women to visit and train for a day at a September 24th Hiring Expo at their Police Academy.   We discussed the force and the divisions within it, from highway traffic to criminal investigations the PA State Police provide full police services to more than 80% of the commonwealth.   She spoke of the need for the police to reflect the people they serve and her efforts to recruit women and people of color.  2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the first women graduates of the Academy and they are offering today’s young women the rare opportunity to visit the grounds for a Hiring Expo, participate in physical tests and work-outs and learn about careers within the force.   Corporal Durham discussed her own path through the ranks, one of 12 female recruits in her class; she spent three years patrolling and then she was able to follow the communication field.  She noted that there are more than 80 different areas to enter, from canine squads and horse patrols, to forensics and crime scene investigation.  We discussed the acceptance within the ranks of women and those of color, she finds them open to troopers of different ethnicities, backgrounds, religion and gender.   

You mut be registered for the Hiring Expo.  For more information about the event or becoming a PA Trooper,  visit PATrooper.com 

To register for the Hiring Expo you can reach out to Corporal Durham at [email protected]

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