Our story
One borrowed van and a lot of bread
Open Harvest began when two neighbours noticed how much good food left the corner bakery in trash bags every night.
Why we exist
Hunger here is not a supply problem
One in six Philadelphians is not sure where their next meal is coming from. At the same time, grocers and growers in our region throw away thousands of tons of edible food every year because it is too ripe, slightly bruised or a day past the date on the box.
We sit in the middle. We have the trucks, the cold storage, the food safety training and, most of all, the relationships with neighbourhood pantries that know exactly who needs what.
We are not a warehouse that waits for donations. We go and get the food, fast, and we treat the people who receive it like guests.
Nobody should have to choose between dignity and dinner.
Milestones
Ten years of rescue
2016
The first run
Denise Okafor and Marco Ruiz collect bread from three bakeries in a borrowed church van.
2018
A real warehouse
We move into 9,000 square feet in Norwood Yards with our first walk-in cooler.
2020
Pandemic response
Volunteers triple in six weeks. We deliver 400,000 meals to doorsteps in one spring.
2023
Neighbour Markets
Our first free, client-choice market opens in Kensington. Five more follow.
2026
Four million meals
Fourteen vans, 112 partners and a new community kitchen training line cooks.
The people
A small staff, a very big crew
Eighteen staff and thousands of volunteers. Here are a few of the people you will meet at the dock.
Denise Okafor
Executive Director and co-founder
Former school nutrition director who still drives a route every Friday.
Marco Ruiz
Director of Operations
Runs the fleet, the cold chain and the 6 a.m. coffee.
Priya Natarajan
Community Partnerships
Works with 112 pantries, schools and shelters to match food to need.
James Whitfield
Volunteer Lead
Retired SEPTA dispatcher. Has trained more than 2,000 volunteers.
Food partners include
- Fairmount Greengrocer
- Delaware Valley Growers Co-op
- Lancaster Lane Dairy
- Spruce Street Bakers
- Riverward Markets
- Penn Hill Hospital Kitchens
Come see the warehouse
Free tours every second Saturday at 10:00. Bring a friend and a pair of closed-toe shoes.