David Cheng, Communication Manager
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
[email protected] | 215-988-1631
Diane Anton, Communications Manager
Subaru of America, Inc.
[email protected] | 856-488-5093
Subaru of America Sponsors Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Harvest 2020 Hunger Relief Initiative
Newly developed program focuses on addressing food insecurity and increased hunger needs in the Philadelphia region.
[PHILADELPHIA – July 15, 2020] – Today, Subaru of America, Inc. has announced that it will serve as the exclusive automotive sponsor of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s (PHS) Harvest 2020 initiative, a comprehensive program aimed at increasing food production and combatting food insecurity throughout the region.
The Philadelphia region currently ranks in the top 10 U.S. cities with the highest number of food-insecure residents. Nearly 12% of households lack access to three meals a day, a number that is expected to double as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many food pantries have experienced as much as a 50% increase in demand since the start of the pandemic, heightening the need for broad collective action.
PHS’s Harvest 2020 seeks to mobilize thousands of people throughout the region to support hunger relief efforts in the Greater Philadelphia community through three types of pledges:
- A grower (someone who grows food for themselves and their family),
- A sharer (someone who commits to sharing with neighborhoods by sharing their harvest with a hunger relief organization), or
- A donor (someone who helps provide gardening materials and educational resources).
The goal of Harvest 2020 is to help people learn how to grow food for themselves and their families, and establish long-term relationships between thousands of gardeners and food pantries to reduce reliance on conventional food systems.
“With an increased strain placed on our nation’s food banks, we must find new ways to assist those who struggle with hunger,” said Thomas J. Doll, President and CEO, Subaru of America. “The PHS Harvest 2020 hunger relief program takes a community-driven approach to supporting our food-insecure neighbors and continues Subaru’s efforts to battle food insecurity across the country.”
Harvest 2020 has been designed for anyone to participate, from individuals who haven’t gardened before and wish to grow healthy food for their family, to those with gardening expertise that can produce enough for themselves and to share with others, including local food banks who serve those most in need.
The automaker’s sponsorship is a part of Subaru Loves to Help, the community-focused pillar of the Subaru Love Promise. To learn more about Subaru Loves to Help and the community work Subaru does, visit www.subaru.com/community.
The Harvest 2020 initiative will make great strides in alleviating food insecurity, while providing the resources necessary to help those in underserved communities become more self-reliant in the future through sustainable gardening practices. To learn more about the program visit www.phsonline.org/harvest2020.
ABOUT PHS
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, an internationally recognized nonprofit organization founded in 1827, plays an essential role in the vitality of the Philadelphia region by creating healthier living environments, increasing access to fresh food, growing economic opportunity, and building deeper social connections between people. PHS delivers this impact through comprehensive greening and engagement initiatives in more than 250 neighborhoods; an expansive network of public gardens and landscapes; year-round learning experiences; and the nation’s signature gardening event, the Philadelphia Flower Show. PHS provides everyone with opportunities to garden for the greater good as a participant, member, donor, or volunteer. For information and to support this work, please visit PHSonline.org.
ABOUT SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC.
Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company’s vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA has donated more than $190 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged more than 40,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do.
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