Yet another nonprofit food bank organization is stepping up to help Floridians during the federal government shutdown that has disrupted federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
Feeding Florida is deploying increased volunteers to help ensure families, seniors and veterans get essential sustenance every day. Those volunteers are helping to put food on the tables of the needy through the organization’s statewide network of food banks and more than 2,000 partners, officials said.
“Our mission is to make sure no Floridian goes hungry — especially in times of uncertainty,” said Robin Safley, CEO of Feeding Florida. “Our nine food banks and more than 2,400 partner pantries have already mobilized, expanding distributions across the state to meet the growing demand for food assistance.”
Feeding Florida officials say about 3 million people in the state are beneficiaries of SNAP programs. It was always designed to provide a temporary lifeline each month. But without that stable resource, the ripple effect on the state could lead to weakened communities, gaps in nutrition, faltering health while damaging local learning and economies, Feeding Florida officials said.
They warn recovery from the SNAP shutdown can be costly.
“Feeding Florida’s network can increase distribution by up to 300% during emergencies,” Safley said. “The challenge isn’t moving food, it’s having enough food to fill the pipeline. We need everyone — leaders, communities, and partners — to work together to keep food flowing to every corner of Florida.”
Feeding Florida is seeking donations to its food banks help increase relief.
Feeding Florida is an offshoot of Feeding America, formerly known as America’s Second Harvest food bank, a national nonprofit leader in hunger relief efforts.
Farm Share is a nonprofit organization founded in 1991 and works to retrieve unused food from Florida farms. That produce is then distributed to needy families at Farm Share locations across the Sunshine State. It’s the largest food bank in Florida and the third-largest in the U.S.