REAL Exclusive Magazine

All Faiths Food Bank

“Addressing hunger through assistance to those in need throughout our community”

All Faiths Food Bank is the hub of hunger relief in Sarasota and DeSoto counties and serves more than 66,000 neighbors in need through our member network. Since 1989, we are the only food bank serving Sarasota and DeSoto counties and have been a member of Feeding America since 1990. Our number one priority has always been to serve the most needy and vulnerable, including children, seniors, veterans, and those in crisis.

In 2016, the Food Bank changed its mission representing a shift in how we address hunger and an understanding that hunger is a health issue. Since then, AFFB’s new mission has been: Together with our partners, we provide healthy solutions to end hunger in our community.

Thanks to our community’s generosity, we recently expanded our warehouse, doubling its size in order to provide better services to our next-door neighbors in need, in our efforts to shrink the hunger gap. In 2018 a new brand was also born – one that is fresh, engaging, and mission-implicit in design. The new brand logo visually re-defines and energizes AFFB underneath our mission – to provide healthy solutions to end hunger in our community.

Hunger in Sarasota and DeSoto

Sadly, hunger hurts our most vulnerable: children, seniors, and veterans. In 2015,

• 44 percent of households in Florida could not afford basic needs such as housing, childcare, food, health care, and transportation

• 33% of households in Sarasota struggle to afford their basic needs

• 58% of households in DeSoto struggle to afford their basic needs

How it all works?

Food donations are made

All Faiths Food Bank receives donations from the food and grocery industries, government agencies, food drives, local growers, individuals and other organizations.

Food is inspected and distributed

All Faiths inspects donated food, ensures safe storage, and oversees reliable distribution to where it is needed most.

Food reaches those in need

Food is provided to people in need at food pantries, soup kitchens, schools, youth organizations, senior centers, and emergency shelters.

Our programs include:

Backpacks- providing students with nutritious food for the weekends at 47 schools.

School Pantries- providing fresh produce, meats and groceries to families at 17 schools.

Mobile Farm Markets- distributing fresh produce at 11 locations.

Mobile Pantries- distributing fresh produce, meats and groceries at 17 locations.

Nutrition and education- providing, Cooking Matters classes, which are 6-week courses, that teaching people how to shop and prepare healthy, low-cost meals.

Partner agencies- working with 57 partner agencies, we provide food pantries and meals to the community. Some of these partners includes human services organizations, schools, faith-based and secular organizations, and other groups that serve the community.

Click for larger image

Partnering with our community to end hunger:

We couldn’t do what we do without the help of our community! Throughout the year we engage our community in creative ways through different campaigns and events.

Campaign Against Summer Hunger
April 3 – May 15, 2018
Each year across Sarasota and DeSoto Counties, school nutrition programs provide children in need with up to ten healthy meals each week. But when schools close for the summer, how do these children find the help they need? With the compassionate help of donors, volunteers, and more than 150 community partners, the Campaign Against Summer Hunger raises funds for summer feeding programs.

ThankFULL Hearts and Tummies Campaign
During the holiday season we look forward to gathering and sharing a meal with friends and family, but for families facing financial challenges, the holidays can be a painful reminder of hunger. Last year, the ThankFULL Hearts and Tummies holiday campaign was created with the idea of turning empty plates into ThankFULL hearts and tummies while providing meals for our neighbors who struggle with hunger during the holiday season.

Hunger Action Month
The entire month of September is devoted to raising awareness about hunger. Hunger Action Month features a multitude of special events and activities, including participation at local schools.

Cooking with Class
Each September All Faith’s hosts Cooking with Class, a private event in Venice where guests enjoy a culinary adventure as they prepare a themed four-course meal to share with family and friends. This interactive evening of great food, drinks and socializing shows just how much fun supporting All Faiths Food Bank can be!

Bowls of Hope
December 2, 2018
One of the community’s largest and most popular family-friendly events, Bowls of Hope draws more than 1,500 guests. 40 of our community’s finest restaurants and caterers serve delicious soups, breads, desserts, and more. Participants select beautiful, handcrafted bowls to keep, all donated by local potters, artists, and students while enjoying a modest meal as a reminder of the empty bowls they help to fill.

Autumn Harvest
This year we are proud to introduce our new campaign, Autumn Harvest to help achieve our mission of providing more fresh produce to our next-door neighbors in need. This harvest season, your generosity will help share fruits and vegetables with those that can’t always access healthy groceries. The campaign includes a fun evening shared with friends and family with a farm-to-table style dinner by Jeremy Hammond Chambers of Innovative Dining while raising funds for our produce program.

Join us to help end hunger in our community!

If you would like to make a donation, volunteer or find out more information, visit www.allfaithsfoodbank.org or call 941-379-6333.

Copyright © 2018 REAL Exclusive Magazine www.getrealexclusive.com
Links to this article are encouraged