St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum and Farm Share partner to feed the local community

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The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum and Farm Share, a non-profit organization whose mission is “to make sure that no Floridian goes hungry and no food goes to waste,” will hold an event May 18 for St. Johns County residents, providing food to individuals and families in need.

The organizations plan to distribute 42,000 pounds of food in the drive-through-only event. It will be held from 9 a.m. to noon in the parking lot of the Ponce de Leon Mall in front of the Belk Department Store in St. Augustine.

Vehicles will enter the lot on U.S. 1 and be directed to the distribution, where the organizations’ staff members and volunteers will place the food in the recipients’ trunks.

Food distribution is on a first-come, first-served basis and will include produce, non-perishable foods, dairy and other items.

All volunteers will wear gloves and masks, and recipients must remain inside their vehicles and open their trunks when it is their turn in line to receive items.

“The need in our community continues to grow and has been made worse by the pandemic, loss of jobs and loss of income,” said Kathy Fleming, St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum executive director. “As a non-profit organization, we are honored to give back to those in our local community who are in need.”

In collaboration with others and generous in-kind contributions from businesses in the local community, the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum and its partners can provide this much-needed help and support to others.

The organizations recognized the following partners who helped make the distribution possible: Belk Department Store in St. Augustine, Wilson Heating and Air, Sunbelt Rentals, Growers Alliance and Lincolnville Museum & Cultural Center.

Established in 1991, Farm Share works daily to ensure that food-insecure Floridians receive the food and support they need. Last year, Farm Share distributed more than 88 million pounds of food to more than 17.5 million households residing in all of Florida’s 67 counties. Of the 88 million pounds of food distributed, more than 20 million pounds were fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables.