Serving Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee Counties
COMING UP! September is Time To Stuff the Bus September 13: Stuff the Bus Collier County, in partnership with CAT/Collier Area Transit, Publix (6 locations) and United Way September 20: Fill Our Fleet Lee County, in partnership with LeeTran and Publix (all 34 locations) These are one-day food drives, and volunteers are needed; call Tanya Phillips at (239) 334-7007 x141.
Letter Carriers Food Drive Nets 401,478 Pounds! The 23rd annual Letter Carriers Food Drive to “Stamp Out Hunger” became the largest one-day food drive ever for the Harry Chapin Food Bank. Lee County residents donated 401,478 pounds of food with the help of 250 volunteers. As the lead recipient, the Food Bank will distribute 252,875 pounds of food to its partner agencies. Special thanks go to the U.S. Postal Service, the United Way and Publix Super Markets. See page 5 for more photos!
Summer 2015 / Vol. VX, No. 3
New Senior Hunger Program Tackles a Huge Hidden Problem Nearly one in six senior citizens — 9.6 million people — struggles with hunger in the United States. They face difficult compromises: “Do I pay for medication or rent?” or “Do I buy what’s cheap but not nutritional for my health?” Here in Southwest Florida, especially since the Great Recession, many seniors find themselves isolated and vulnerable, even within gated communities, and unaware of resources that can help them. However, a new program to distribute food to low-income residents ages 60 and older in Collier and Lee counties will soon make a difference. The Harry Chapin Food Bank is the only food bank in the state of Florida to launch the Commodity Supplemental Food Program. It is in the process of enrolling 2,400 individuals to receive a box of food each month until they no longer need the assistance. The food, which is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, includes canned fruits and vegetables, juice, dry beans, rice, peanut butter and cereal. “This is the first time Florida applied to participate in this USDA program,” said Robin Safley, director, division of food nutrition and wellness, with the state’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Volunteers at the Food Bank box up packages slated for the new senior hunger program.
Services. Collier received state funding approval first, then Lee was added, because these were communities with high need and a high population of seniors in poverty, explained Christie Meresse, bureau chief of food distribution at the state agency, which orders food for the program. Nutrition education and outreach materials — including recipes and health tips — go with the food package. “Coming out of the box with a new program, we wanted to make sure it was very successful,” said Safley. “The Harry Chapin Food Bank has been a phenomenal partner, and we rely on them to understand the needs of the community.” (More about Senior Hunger on page 3)
Fresh Food Welcome in Hard Times Yecenia Hernandez walks every month to the Harry Chapin Food Bank mobile food pantry at Golden Gate Elementary. The mother of Davis, 5, and 10-month-old Austin is currently unemployed, and her husband works full-time in construction. “My husband’s job depends on the weather,” she explained. “If it rains a lot, he doesn’t get much work.” During these hard times, mobile pantries “are a great help, especially when we don’t have much money to buy healthy
Juana Cruz Roja and her family receive fresh produce at the mobile pantry.
food.” Here, she received a variety of food items, including fresh corn on the cob, squash and zucchini. Juana Cruz Roja also walked to the mobile pantry. She placed fresh produce and frozen meat onto the back of her old bike. “It’s been hard to find work,” said the single mother. At times, the family has gone hungry for two or three days. “Without this help, we would really struggle. It would probably be worse without the Food Bank.”