More than 12,000 infants are born into poverty annually in southeastern Pennsylvania, according to the Greater Philadelphia Food Bank. Most of these infants are bottle-fed because they are cared for by individuals other than their mothers. Caregivers who are unable to afford the high cost of infant formula may resort to diluting formula with water, introducing cow’s milk too early, or preparing homemade alternatives, such as evaporated milk combined with water and corn syrup or sugar.

The BabyManna campaign of the Greater Philadelphia Food Bank was created to raise awareness of the tragedy of infant malnutrition and meet the needs of hungry infants and babies in its area. According to William Pillsbury, development associate at the food bank and staff coordinator of BabyManna, all of the proceeds of its fundraising efforts are used to purchase infant formula and baby food, two of the food bank’s most requested, but rarely donated, items. The food bank purchases the supplies at a discounted price and distributes them among 808 member agencies in the five counties to which it provides food.

In 2004, more than two hundred congregations in southeastern Pennsylvania participated in a special Mother’s Day weekend offering to raise funds to purchase formula in bulk. As of August 1, they had raised over $50,000. In this its first year of receiving the Pentecost Offering, Ridley Park Presbyterian Church contributed its share of the Offering to the BabyManna campaign.

Rosanne Thornburg
Ridley Park Presbyterian Church
Ridley Park, Pennsylvania
(610) 532-9400
email