Small Things Philly

ions by helping our partner organizations meet the tangible needs of their communities. Dignity | We believe that every individual we support deserves to be treated with respect, empathy, and love regardless of their situation. Integrity | We believe that having integrity in all of our actions and in all of our partnerships. Impact | In everything we do, we want to ensure that our efforts have a positive impact on our community. This ministry had a very simple goal: to feed some of Philadelphia’s hungriest families on Easter Sunday. In early 2010, a zip code in North Philadelphia was named the hungriest in America. Realizing that this neighborhood was right in its backyard, a team from Liberti Church East felt compelled to act. That spring, they raised some money, put an ad in the local newspaper, and gathered volunteers the day before Easter to distribute 100 dinners. While they knew this wouldn’t fix Philadelphia’s hunger problem, this one meal was a tangible way of celebrating the resurrection of Jesus and offering hope to friends and neighbors in need. Ten years later, Easter Outreach, led by Pastor Vito Baldini, extends throughout Philadelphia and into Chester, Norristown, and Camden, as well. In 2019, over 75 community partners and 2,000 volunteers helped distribute 10,000 Easter dinners in the greater Philadelphia area

PIVOTING DURING COVID-19:
When COVID-19 struck, the ministry brought together area churches, community organizations, and food providers like Philabundance to launch a rapid COVID-19 response. Having trusted relationships across the city allowed Easter Outreach to provide over 100,000 people with 1 million meals by the end of Summer 2020. It was clear that the organization had expanded beyond a seasonal day of service, so the name Easter Outreach was changed to Small Things. This new name reflects the fact that change often starts with one small step, one small gathering, one small sacrifice. The name recognizes that Small Things can change the world. Why Small Things? Why the name? Because we believe this is how change happens. We believe that every act of service matters, no matter how small. Small things like packing a box, delivering a meal, or taking time to talk and get to know another person is how we all change. By mobilizing people to reach out and care for one another, we believe that we can change lives and transform communities. Change takes time and small steps that we take together can change lives and lead to tangible impacts in our community.