The
Pennsylvania Convention Center and its employees supported
Hurricane Sandy and other hunger relief efforts over the Thanksgiving holiday by partnering with the Philadelphia-based non-profit organization,
Stop Hunger Now, for an event that packaged more than 100,000 meals.
Approximately 550 individuals, including 10 percent of the Center staff, donated their time for the meal-packaging event took place on Saturday, November 24 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. “Our staff is engaged in a variety of charitable activities throughout the year, but the damage from Hurricane Sandy struck close to home for many of our employees, so we are seeing and hearing about even more volunteer efforts from our staff this holiday season,” said
Ahmeenah Young, president and CEO of PCCA.
Stop Hunger Now recently provided 171,000 meals for people affected by Hurricane Sandy. In the last seven years, the agency has given 78 million school lunches to children in 36 countries around the world. The organization’s meal-packaging events offer area residents an opportunity to make an immediate impact in the lives of thousands of families in the Philadelphia region and beyond. In the last seven years, the agency has given 78 million school lunches to children in 36 countries around the world.
The PCCA also encouraged individuals to bring canned goods and non-perishable food items to the Center to help replenish food pantries that are low on supplies due to the hurricane relief efforts. The Center’s community impact extends beyond volunteer efforts. Each year, the Center donates $1 million annually for a hospitality education and training fund for students at five public schools and one parochial school in the City of Philadelphia. In October, the Center’s employees helped Philadelphia area car dealers distribute thousands of coats to Philadelphia schoolchildren.
About the Pennsylvania Convention Center
The Pennsylvania Convention Center is located in Philadelphia, the “cradle of liberty” and the birthplace of the United States. Located in Center City, the Convention Center is situated at the center of the city’s many cultural offerings and world-class dining and entertainment scene. A $787 million dollar renovation and expansion of the Center, which received a Gold level certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, was completed in 2011, increasing the size of the Center by 62 percent. The Center is now the 14th largest facility in the nation and features the largest exhibit space and ballroom in the Northeast. The newly renovated Center has won numerous awards and recognition, including a designation as the Best Government/Public Building of 2011 by the Engineering News Record of New York. For more information, visit
www.paconvention.com/vendors.