For 10 years, the certified public accounting firm of Brinker Simpson in Springfield has been devoting time at the holiday season to make sure Delaware County families have food on the table.

Happily, the Brinker Simpson Annual Frank Baldino Food Drive will be distributed to seven different local food banks, this year, encompassing all of Delaware County.

The annual food drive, running through Dec. 3, was recently renamed in memory of Frank Baldino, a partially retired partner at the firm who had died.  

“He was a very charitable person,” said Kellie McShane-Harris, who heads client services for Brinker Simpson and oversees community development.

Staff volunteers have started collecting non-perishable food, as well as personal and feminine hygiene products. They will later sort and deliver the items to local food pantries.

Anyone wishing to donate can drop items off at the company’s Springfield office, 940 W. Sproul Road, Suite 101, in Springfield.  Arrangements can also be made to pick up donated food.

How It All Started

The accounting firm’s outreach began with Thanksgiving baskets stocked, prepared, and delivered by Brinker Simpson’s staff.  The company received a list of families in need supplied by area churches and organizations.

About six years ago, they decided to take it in a different direction, said McShane-Harris. They shifted from baskets for a few families to a food drive.

“People need food year-round. They need more than just turkey,” she said.

The company divided itself into teams and delivered food to three different organizations in Delaware County.

The teams made it a fun competition to see who could collect the most food.

They kept it local the first few years, then decided to hook up with WMMR’s annual Camp Out for Hunger event. Food was dropped off at Lincoln Financial Field each November and donated to Philabundance. Companies can win incentives for having the most food collected.

“You’re going against huge corporations so we didn’t win for amount,” McShane-Harris said. “We did win a copier with a two- or three-year lease.”

“We donated that to City Team. They needed a copier,” she added.

After two years of sending donated food to Philadelphia, Brinker Simpson decided that helping out in its own back yard was the way to go so the food drive has shifted back to Delaware County.

They’ve distributed to Upper Darby, William Penn School District communities, Chester, Media, Broomall, and Sharon Hill.

Last year’s collection was enough to fill 15 or 16 SUVs.

A drop-off at a Sharon Hill food bank, amidst the pandemic, was particularly gratifying.

“The gentleman said, ‘We don’t know who you are and how you found us, but we’re glad you did because we need the food.’”

Where’s the Food Going?

This year, food and other items will be delivered to Chester Eastside, Inc.; Lansdowne Ministerium, Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry, Prospect Park; Mt. Zion CMS Church, Sharon Hill; St. Mark’s Food Pantry, Broomall; Eddystone Food Pantry and the Upper Darby Food Bank.

And it’s still a fun competition.

“We ask everybody to participate if they can within our company and we reach out to family, friends, neighbors, clients,” McShane-Harris said.

Find out more about the current food drive

Find out about Brinker Simpson in Springfield.

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CPA Tom McGarrigle, Jr. talks about the values and work culture at Brinker Simpson.