August 9, 2019

Nutritional Development Services Of The Archdiocese Of Philadelphia And Catholic Charities Appeal To Host Fresh Produce Stand At Children’s Hospital Of Philadelphia (CHOP)

Nutritional Development Services (NDS) of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is partnering with Catholic Charities Appeal (CCA) of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to distribute nearly 140 bags of produce to children and families who benefit from NDS’ Summer Meals Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). This outreach is part of NDS’ ongoing fresh produce initiative.

Tuesday, August 13, 2019
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care
3500 Civic Center Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Families will receive various fruits and vegetables including ears of corn, strawberries, tomatoes, peaches, kale, spinach, and honeydew melon. In addition, a healthy recipe using the fresh products offered at the stand will accompany each produce bag distributed.

Since 2017, NDS has partnered with CHOP to serve nourishing, balanced lunches to patients and their siblings at no cost through their “Complete Eats” program. This program also connects families with information about nearby Summer Meals locations in their local communities. This year, four CHOP locations are participating in the Summer Meals Program. NDS serves approximately 275 children per day at CHOP’s Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care with nearly 9,000 meals served across all four sites so far this summer.

Ms. Brooke Mullen, MS, RDN, LDN, Assistant Director of Community Relations for NDS said, “CHOP has been an outstanding partner in their pursuit of serving as many children as possible in their communities. We are grateful for their continued commitment to shepherding the Summer Meals Program to provide nourishing meals to children in need, and their work to alleviate childhood hunger throughout Philadelphia. It is our hope that a produce stand at CHOP’s Buerger Center can provide additional value to the Summer Meals Program, while offering further support to families in need.”

NDS provides nutritious meals to children throughout the summer months when school is out of session. The Summer Meals Program is especially critical for children who rely heavily on the meal programs offered during the school year, who may not have access to regular nutritious meals from June-August. In 2018, NDS’ Summer Meals Program served approximately 385 sites throughout the greater Philadelphia area and provided over 750,000 meals including breakfasts, snacks, lunches, and suppers.

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Editor’s Note: The Catholic Charities Appeal (CCA) is the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s single most important fundraiser benefiting hundreds of thousands of people through countless organizations and ministries in the Archdiocese. Programs receiving funding from CCA include housing for the homeless, community food cupboards, afterschool academic enrichment and recreational opportunities for youth, and family support services. To learn more about the Catholic Charities Appeal and this initiative, please visit https://www.catholiccharitiesappeal.org/.

For over forty-five years, NDS’ mission has been to serve children and those in need with healthy food and food-related resources. NDS accomplishes its mission in two distinct ways: by administering the federally-funded Child Nutrition Programs and through the privately supported Community Food Program. To learn more about Nutritional Development Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, please visit http://nutritionaldevelopmentservices.org/