Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University City District Join EPA's Food Recovery Challenge

Challenges for feeding the hungry increase dramatically during summer as school lunch programs end

When:

Wednesday, June 5, 2013 - 1 p.m.

Where:

The Dirt Factory (A Community Composting Facility and Garden)
4308 Market Street
Philadelphia, Pa.

Who:

Shawn M. Garvin, Regional Administrator, U.S. EPA Mid-Atlantic Region
Seth Budick, Policy and Research Manager, University City District
Tyler Weaver , Sustainability Coordinator, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
George Matysik, Deputy Director, Philabundance
Sarah Wu, Policy & Outreach Manager, Mayor's Office of Sustainability

What:

Signing Ceremony and Tour : Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University City District join EPA's Food Recovery Challenge.

The Food Recovery Challenge encourages businesses and institutions to donate as much of their excess food as possible to save money, feed families in need and help protect the environment. This can dramatically assist people in need since one in six Americans does not know where their next meal is coming from. And the problem increases dramatically in summer months when school lunch program end.

EPA has been working closely with the University City District (UCD) to develop an Urban Model for Surplus Food Recovery. This is the first program of its kind in Philadelphia, where both businesses and citizens can participate through composting, food waste reduction and/or donation of surplus food.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has already started food waste composting. It now plans to expand food recovery practices including instituting a zero-waste policy at all CHOP conference spaces.

**A Media Tour of this urban composting facility and community garden will follow.