Weavers Way Co-op, 8424 Germantown Ave., lost power on Monday for the second time in three months, although this time the store was able to prevent perishable food from going to waste by donating it to regional food-pantry supplier Philabundance.

After Weavers Way Co-op lost power on Monday, the nonprofit was able to salvage many of its perishable items by donating them to food pantries affiliated with regional food-pantry supplier Philabundance.

Philly.com reports that Weavers Way Co-op, 8424 Germantown Ave., lost power early yesterday, along with three other commercial customers. The outage, according to Peco, affected the store's three-phase electrical service, including its freezers, refrigerators, air-conditioning and ventilation system. The store was forced to close and move its perishable items, like meat, dairy and frozen foods, to its warehouse and Mt. Airy location.

This is the second time in three months that Weavers Way has experienced a power outage. The co-op lost service in August as well, which caused thousands of dollars worth of its food to perish. To recover the damages that occurred in that incident, the co-op filed a $22,000 claim with Peco, but the claim was dismissed because Peco said the outage was planned maintenance, which it said it notified customers about the day of the scheduled overnight outage. A spokesperson for Peco said the company only compensates customers when the outages are preventable, and not for storm disruptions or unforeseen issues.

During this instance, however, the co-op was able to save much of its perishable inventory by donating it to food pantries associated with Philabundance, the region's largest hunger relief organization. The food will benefit food cupboards, emergency kitchens, shelters, daycares, senior centers and more. The organization helps to feed 90,000 individuals each week throughout the Delaware Valley.

Weavers Way had its power restored on Monday night after Peco excavated an underground power line. The co-op reopened on Tuesday morning, but the store's general manager, Jon Roesser, said the store is “missing a lot of perishable food.”

For the whole story, visit www.philly.com/philly/business/20151201_Chestnut_Hill_power_outage_affecting_Weavers_Way_Co-op_leads_to_big_food_donation_for_Philabundance.html