Feeding Northeast Florida, the region’s largest nonprofit food bank, has received a $125,000 donation from Publix Super Markets Charities to support its ongoing work to meet the increased need for food assistance in the region due to the effects of the pandemic.
Feeding Northeast Florida serves the more than 257,000 people facing food insecurity in an eight-county operating area; and with the rising numbers of newly unemployed neighbors, the nonprofit has seen a greatly increased demand for food.
Feeding Northeast Florida and its network of partner food pantries and programs have seen two-to-three times as many households seeking food assistance in Northeast Florida since the coronavirus pandemic began, and Publix Charities’ donation will help increase capacity and meet this elevated need.
“We are so grateful for Publix Charities’ support of Feeding Northeast Florida,” says Susan King, president and CEO of the nonprofit. “Publix has been a valued partner of the food bank since our founding six years ago. Right now, the need for food assistance is great, and with Publix’s help, we will be able to serve even more people struggling in Northeast Florida.”
Additionally, as the impact of the pandemic took shape, many produce and dairy farmers around the Southeast saw their buying partners dry up and found themselves dumping or plowing over product they could no longer sell. Meanwhile, food banks throughout the region were experiencing substantial increases in need.
To bridge the gap, Publix implemented a program to purchase surplus produce and milk from farmers and deliver it directly to food banks. Since then, Publix has purchased and delivered more than 11 million pounds of produce and 500,000 gallons of milk to Feeding America member food banks throughout the Southeast, including more than 710,000 pounds of produce and more than 16,500 gallons of milk to Feeding Northeast Florida. This farm-fresh produce and milk is in addition to the millions of pounds of food already donated by Publix to Feeding Northeast Florida.
“It has been our privilege to support hunger relief throughout the Southeast for many years now, and this work has never been more important,” said Publix CEO Todd Jones. “We are grateful for the opportunity to support Feeding Northeast Florida and to alleviate hunger in the communities we serve and bring hope to those who need it most during these uncertain times.”
The $125,000 donation is one of several made this year to help provide food and other essential support to those hardest hit by the pandemic. In all, Publix Charities has donated $5 million to Feeding America member food banks and other nonprofit partners in 2020.
