Food Bank

Private event raises $1 million Nov. 7 for Harry Chapin Food Bank

Harry Chapin food bank breaks ground on a new distribution center in Fort Myers that will double its capacity to feed the hungry in this area.

In light of the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history, local nonprofit organizations are feeling the brunt of the impacts as a lapse in SNAP benefits persist causing individuals as well as families to function without food for extended periods of time. Find out how one organization in particular is taking extra steps to help not only its clients, but also other local organizations weathering the storm of SNAP uncertainty.

Harry Chapin Food Bank collecting turkeys and hams for distribution.

Funding will support states, territories, and Tribes in purchasing and distributing wholesome, locally produced food for food banks, schools, and child care facilities

A proposal aimed at helping what are known as “food recovery” programs, such as food banks, get discounted prices for fresh foods moved forward Monday in the Florida House, with lawmakers looking at a pilot program to help curb food insecurity in the state. The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee unanimously approved the bill (HB 1159).

Volunteers helped distribute solar-powered lights Saturday to several Southwest Florida neighborhoods hit hard by last year’s hurricane as part of the "Be The Light" initiative sponsored by Better Together.

Harry Chapin Food Bank, the largest hunger-relief organization in Southwest Florida, collected 51,042 pounds of food in Lee County during the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive May 13.

For many, Collier County elicits images of golf courses, beautiful beaches and affluent people. But for some residents, a different reality exists, as the population experiencing food insecurity continues to grow.The Federal Reserve Economic Data reports Collier’s annual median household income at an estimated $75,799 in 2021, the last reported year. Of the nearly 386,000 population, 10.4% were living in poverty.

The holidays are a busy time for food distributors, even as they face challenges brought about by the pandemic. One organization is trying to feed the hungry in Southwest Florida and beyond, even as COVID is keeping volunteers at home.