Grants Support All Faiths Food Bank

June 17, 2024 | Sarasota

All Faiths Food Bank (AFFB) recently received $47,000 from four area funders  in support of its work to end hunger. Grants received this spring and programs to which funding is to be designated – include Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation, $25,000, BackPack program; Bank of America, $15,000, Mobile Pantry program; Venice Yacht Club Charitable Foundation, $5,000, Campaign Against Summer Hunger; and Florida Winefest & Auction, $2,000, BackPack program.

Through AFFB’s Mobile Pantry program, truckloads of fresh produce, meat and groceries are delivered and distributed in high-need areas in Sarasota and DeSoto counties. AFFB operates 40 Mobile Food Pantries with an average of 53 distributions monthly. Seven of the pantries are Mobile Farm Markets, which exclusively distribute fresh fruit and vegetables. AFFB Mobile Food Pantries can serve as many as 300 households in approximately two hours, making it one of the most effective and efficient food distribution programs for the organization.

Nearly 50% of Sarasota County and 100% of DeSoto County students rely on free or reduced cost meals at school.  When the weekend comes, during holidays and breaks from school, children lose access to this critical nutrition. To help fill the hunger gap, AFFB’s BackPack program provides pre-packed “backpacks” for weekly distribution to students for weekends and during holidays/school breaks – including over the summer. The program is targeted toward children who are living in households that are at risk of food insecurity. In 2023, more than 320,000 meals were distributed which was an 8% increase over the previous year.

Another program operated by AFFB to fill the summer hunger gap is the Campaign Against Summer Hunger. Now in its 11th year, the Campaign supports efforts to feed children during the summer months when they no longer receive those meals – as well as school pantries, which also provides nutritional assistance throughout the school year. AFFB leaders expect to serve nearly 40,000 students and siblings through the Campaign this summer.

“The level of support we have enjoyed from area foundations, charitable organizations, and the business community continues to humble and amaze us,” said Nelle S. Miller, president and CEO of All Faiths Food Bank. “We are so grateful to the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation, Bank of America, Venice Yacht Club Charitable Foundation, and Florida Winefest & Auction for their continued support of our neighbors who are experiencing hunger. We are proud these fine organizations have chosen to invest in our work and our community.”

To learn more about All Faiths or to find a schedule of food distributions, visit allfaithsfoodbank.org or call 941-379-6333.