Mark Wainwright worked in the food service management industry for 25 years before taking a break, then practiced real estate.
Back in 2017, he took a bit of a different path, starting a nonprofit out of the basement of his Ridley Park home.
The early focus was on providing meals for needy children. In looking for an organization name, Wainwright settled on It Takes a Village to Feed One Child
“It literally takes a village to feed one child,” he said.
The original goals were modest. At first, the nonprofit served 25 kids enrolled at a Spring Garden Street child care center.
The growth has been fantastic.
“We work with 107 centers,” said Wainwright, who serves as CEO.
The nonprofit’s main office is in King of Prussia, and it recently opened a space at 4704 Leiper St. in Frankford.
The agency provides more than 250,000 meals and snacks on a monthly basis to those 100-plus child, adult and at-risk centers. That’s 3 million meals a year.
“These are great, quality meals. They’re healthy and balanced,” Wainwright said. “We’re also providing leftover funding on a monthly basis.”
ITAVTFOC serves Philadelphia and the suburbs, along with Camden, Atlantic City and Wilmington, Delaware.
Meals are brought to kids after school and in the summer, and are pre-packaged for them for the weekends. Some meals are brought right to senior citizens’ doors and to homeless on the streets. There are also pop-up pantries.
Locally, ITAVTFOC centers include the Children’s Place Preschool at 4416 Longshore Ave.
Also, the agency visits Star of Hope Baptist Church, 7137 Hegerman St., on the last Saturday of the month, from 12:30 to 3 p.m. There, it teams with the church’s Swag Cares ministry to distribute groceries, essentials and home goods. The next pop-up is March 28.
Wainwright considers the “feed” in the nonprofit’s name to be an acronym for “Fostering Enrichment and Empowerment for Development.” For instance, educational and enrichment activities take place at its after-school, at-risk centers.
“Food was the logical first step for us to build credibility,” Wainwright said. “But it’s just one of 10 things we do.”
The agency has been recognized for its efforts.
Last year, ITAVTFOC received the prestigious Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia award from the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia and Points of Light. The award goes to civic-minded organizations that drive social impact and set the standard for civic engagement in the region.
At the same time, ITAVTFOC likes to hand out awards of its own.
Each year, ITAVTFOC brings together local leaders, community members and supporters for the Hunger Village Awards, a celebration of organizations dedicated to alleviating hunger. ITAVTFOC spotlights organizations and individuals leading the charge in making a difference. The evening is also a chance for the community to come together, share insights and build lasting connections, all to benefit the fight against hunger.
While ITAVTFOC’s mission has proven to be potent, Wainwright wants to see the agency grow even more. One way is to increase donations. Another way, Wainwright said, is to recruit more community members to assist in the food programs, community events, pop-up pantries and fundraising.
“We’re always looking for volunteers,” he said. ••
To volunteer or make a monetary or in-kind, tax-deductible donation or for more information, call 888-702-9610 or visit feed1child.org
