Local Food

Harry Chapin Food Bank collecting turkeys and hams for distribution.

Food pantries are reporting more clients and expecting even more if SNAP benefits are paused.

The Harry Chapin Food Bank is declaring an emergency as the federal government shutdown enters its fifth week with thousands of Southwest Florida families struggling to put food on the table, SNAP benefits about to be paused and federal employees in critical roles such as transportation and public safety continuing to go unpaid.

Various answers have cropped up for people seeking food in the wake of SNAP benefits being suspended in the government shutdown.

From Monday, Sept. 29 through Friday, Oct. 31, UF/IFAS Extension Manatee County as well as several other Manatee locations will be collecting unopened jars of peanut butter (any size) to support local food banks and animal shelters in Manatee County. Sarasota and Charlotte counties are also participating.

A local couple’s generosity after a storm has turned into a vital program in Southwest Florida. Pitch in for a Chicken has now donated more than 50,000 chickens in the Fort Myers area.

Food truck parks are increasingly popular, drawing tourists and locals alike to their open-air hubs with a variety of dining options. Southwest Florida is home to quite a few.

A recent poll shows more than half of Americans are stressed about the cost of food -- so what can they do to help save money?

New program has robots delivering food to FGCU students.