SDG #2 Unveiling: Zero Hunger with Philabundance
One of the highlights of this year’s World Heritage Week was the unveiling of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #2: Zero Hunger! On May 23, the Global Philadelphia Association (GPA) partnered with The GIANT Company, Philabundance, and Mural Arts Philadelphia at BUDD Bioworks to showcase the artwork of talented Philadelphia-based artist Branche Coverdale. His stunning piece, inspired by childhood cartoons, playfully yet powerfully conveys a world without food insecurity. A closer look at the artwork reveals a fridge full of food, symbolizing a happy neighborhood where no one worries about their next meal.
The Global Philadelphia Association's President, Zabeth Teelucksingh, greeted everyone warmly and expressed gratitude for taking the time to attend this important occasion. Loree D. Jones Brown, Philabundance’s CEO, Michael Davis, the founding partner of Budd Bioworks, Tim Santoro, Vice President of Greater Philadelphia at GIANT, Rob McNeill, Board Chair of Global Philadelphia Association, and the project's artist Branche Coverdale were also at the event to speak about the importance of collaboration and their commitment to alleviating hunger now and put an end to food insecurity as one of the city’s long term goals. A special thanks was extended to GIANT for their generous $3,000 donation to Philabundance, an organization dedicated to ensuring no one goes hungry while healthy food goes to waste.
Philadelphia has faced significant challenges with hunger and food insecurity, worsened by COVID-19 and the downturn of its economy after the pandemic. Feeding America released its annual Map the Meal Gap study, revealing the overall food insecurity within Philadelphia in 2022 was 15.2%, an increase of 1.6% since the prior year. Organizations like Philabundance have been crucial in providing emergency food assistance, expanding their services to meet increased demand. The ambitious goal of SDG #2 is to end world hunger by 2030, and Philabundance is an on-the-ground organization working at the city level with the goal of doing just that. The mural will serve as a reminder for everyone to engage and stay informed about this vital issue, helping to improve access to fresh produce and empowering individuals to combat food insecurity either within or outside their community.
The unveiling of SDG #2 concluded successfully with a commitment to continue providing more assistance to families in need and improving access to food across the city, ultimately embodying the eight targets of Zero Hunger.
To view all the photos from the unveiling, check out Global Philadelphia's Flickr below.
