Small Things Inc

What Small Things Inc does

Small Things Inc is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates a portfolio of hunger-relief programs across the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Founded in 2010 as "Easter Outreach" by Liberti Church East and rebranded to "Small Things" in 2020 to reflect year-round operations, the organization distributes food, hygiene products, and household goods through a multi-channel model: a regional partner distribution network serving 50+ community organizations, three full-choice "free grocery store" Small Things Markets (Fairhill, House of Hope, Emmanuel), a weekly hot meal service of 100 plated lunches at Resurrection Church, and a Kids Healthy Snack Packs program providing 24,000 nutrition packs annually to children through partner organizations.

Name

Small Things Inc

Legal name

Small Things Inc

Website

https://smallthingsphilly.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Small Things Inc is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that distributes food, hygiene, and household goods to food-insecure individuals and families through a network of 50+ community partners and three free-choice grocery markets across the Philadelphia region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Hunger Relief and Food Distribution

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Food & Nutrition Assistance Programs (BPAIAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

School Feeding & Child Nutrition Programs (BPADAJAD), Community-Owned / Nonprofit Grocery Stores (CRAHALAB)

Keywords

• Food distribution services
• Hunger relief programs
• Community food pantries
• Nonprofit food assistance
• Workforce development training

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations: The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies primarily on donations from individuals, organizations, and corporate partners to fund operations. Donations pay warehouse staff wages, health insurance, warehouse operations, and support partner organizations.
2. Merchandise Sales: Online store selling branded merchandise including t-shirts ($15-$25), mugs ($20), and long sleeve shirts ($25). Proceeds support operations.
3. Grants: Grant writing team identifies and applies for grants to advance organizational programs and operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Small Things Inc distributes food, hygiene, and household goods at no cost to a network of 50+ community partners and directly to food-insecure individuals and families through three full-choice Small Things Markets in Philadelphia. The organization also operates a weekly hot meal service at Resurrection Church, distributes 24,000 healthy snack packs to children annually, and provides OSHA-certified forklift training for workforce development, supported by a warehouse facility at 401 Domino Lane, Philadelphia.

Product overview

Small Things Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit food distribution organization operating a portfolio of interconnected hunger-relief programs in the Philadelphia region. The organization functions as both a food bank distributor and operator of free grocery-style markets. Core programs include Regional Food Distribution (supplying 50+ partner pantries with rescued and donated food), the Small Things Market network (three free-choice food pantry locations), the Emmanuel hot meal service (weekly plated meals for those experiencing homelessness), Kids Healthy Snack Packs (24,000 nutrition packs for children), and Job Development Training (forklift certification). A video storytelling initiative called Stories of Impact documents beneficiary experiences. All programs are unified by the mission to alleviate poverty through food security while maintaining dignity and collaboration with community partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Regional Food Distribution Food, hygiene, and household goods distribution to a network of 50+ community partners including food pantries, community centers, and churches across the Philadelphia region. Partners include Philabundance and Feeding America affiliates, distributing millions of pounds of rescued and donated food weekly.
• Small Things Market Full-choice model free grocery store and community resource hub operating at three Philadelphia locations: Fairhill (North Philadelphia), House of Hope (Hunting Park), and Emmanuel (Center City, inside Resurrection Church). Guests shop through the pantry and restock shelves, accessing varied food and personal items at no cost.
• Emmanuel Hot Meal Service Weekly hot meal service serving 100 seated, plated lunches every Saturday at Resurrection Church in Center City Philadelphia. Provides food and connections to additional services for individuals experiencing homelessness and food insecurity.
• Kids Healthy Snack Packs Healthy snack pack program providing 24,000 packs annually to partner organizations working with children and teens. Developed with a dietitian at Campbell Soup Co. to include nutritious foods and nutrition education resources.
• Job Development Training OSHA-certified forklift certification training offered four times per year through the ToyotaLift OSHA Certified Training Program, training up to four individuals per session to increase employability through an industry-recognized credential.
• Branded Merchandise Store Online store selling Small Things branded merchandise including t-shirts ($15-$20), kids t-shirts ($15), mugs ($20), and long sleeve t-shirts ($25). Proceeds support operations of the organization.

Quantifiable outcome

• Distributes 50,000 meals into the community each week
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and notable.

• PhilabundancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020One of Philadelphia's largest hunger-relief organizations serving over 350 community partners across nine counties. Small Things partners with Philabundance as part of the Feeding America network for food sourcing and distribution. Philabundance provides food that Small Things distributes through its network and markets.
• Feeding AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization serving nearly every U.S. community through food banks, pantries, and meal programs. Philabundance is a member of the Feeding America network, connecting Small Things to national hunger relief infrastructure.
• Sharing ExcesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRescues fresh food and quickly delivers it to people in need, addressing logistical barriers. Manages transportation, coordination, and delivery of donated food, cutting costs and reducing waste while benefiting communities.
• Share Food ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor hunger-relief organization in Philadelphia distributing millions of pounds of food to hundreds of thousands of neighbors in need, sourcing from government partners, supermarkets, wholesalers, and food drives.
• Convoy of HopenotableGTM or Marketing PartnerDonated 17,000 pounds (2,064 cases) of frozen meat including turkey pastrami, bacon, breakfast sausage, and beef hot dogs. Ongoing partnership providing protein donations.
• Books and BreadnotableGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership to donate books at Small Things Markets with the mission of helping families and individuals nourish their minds as well as their bodies.
• ToyotaLift (OSHA Certified Training Program)notableImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides forklift certification training to Small Things staff who are then certified to train others. Up to four individuals trained during each session, four times per year.
• Resurrection ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Emmanuel ministry serving hot meals to those experiencing homelessness. Small Things Market Emmanuel operates inside the Center City church on Saturdays.
• Campbell Soup Co.notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerDietitian from Campbell Soup Co. helped develop the Kids Healthy Snack Packs program with popular, healthy foods and nutrition resources.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sharing Excess: Philadelphia-based fresh food rescue organization that transports and distributes surplus food to community partners. Direct peer and current logistics partner to Small Things, with overlapping mission and beneficiary base.
• Philabundance: Philadelphia's largest hunger-relief organization serving 350+ community partners across nine counties; operates as a Feeding America member food bank. Direct peer and current supplier to Small Things — comparable mission and geographic footprint, with substantially larger scale.
• Share Food Program: Major Philadelphia hunger-relief organization distributing millions of pounds annually to community partners. Direct peer operating in the same city with overlapping partner network and similar B-to-B food distribution model.
• Manna on Main Street: Community food pantry and hunger-relief organization in Lansdale, PA operating a choice-model market similar to Small Things Markets. Comparable operating model and beneficiary experience at a smaller suburban scale.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: Nation's largest domestic hunger-relief network of 200+ member food banks. Indirectly comparable as the umbrella organization Small Things accesses through Philabundance; sets national standards and bulk food sourcing that flow down to community-level operators.
• Capital Area Food Bank: Washington DC-region Feeding America member serving the greater DC metro area. Comparable partner-distribution model and program breadth including workforce development and nutrition education; operates at significantly larger scale.
• Maryland Food Bank: Statewide Feeding America member serving Maryland through a partner network of pantries and programs. Comparable community-partner distribution model with similar mission and program categories.

Regional players

• Chester County Food Bank: Regional food bank serving Chester County, PA with similar community-partner distribution and choice-pantry models. Comparable in scale and mission but operating in an adjacent Philadelphia-area geography.
• Food Bank of South Jersey: Regional Feeding America-affiliated food bank serving South Jersey. Comparable mission and partner-distribution model in a neighboring geography; useful benchmark for regional scale economics.

Emerging players

• Hunger Free America: National anti-hunger advocacy and food-distribution nonprofit operating pantries and meal programs in NYC and select cities. Comparable mission and pantry operations; differs in national-advocacy orientation versus Small Things' pure Philadelphia-region community focus.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC38ACakGtTbgEw4WkZpCrGg
• Facebookfacebook.com/small_things_philly
• Instagraminstagram.com/small_things_philly
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/small-things-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Small Things Inc