As the leading hunger-relief organization serving South Florida, Feeding South Florida is stepping up its mission to help families experiencing food insecurity this Thanksgiving. The second-largest food bank in the country will distribute turkey, protein, fresh produce, dairy and shelf-stable items on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last at the following locations.
Nov. 21, 8-11 a.m.
Feeding South Florida Main Warehouse, 2501 SW 32 Terrace, Pembroke Park
100 Black Men, a men’s civic organization and service club with a goal to educate and empower African-American children and teens, in partnership with Publix Super Markets Charities will volunteer their time to organize and pack 2020 Thanksgiving meal boxes to be distributed by UPS. The food sorting and distribution will take place at the Feeding South Florida warehouse in Pembroke Park.
Nov. 23, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Hard Rock Stadium, 347 Don Shula Drive, Miami Gardens
Feeding South Florida will partner with the Miami Dolphins Foundation Food Relief Program to distribute turkey, shelf-stable items, and produce.
Nov. 23, 3-5 p.m.
Marlins Park, 1390 NW Sixth St., Miami
Feeding South Florida will partner with the Miami Marlins to distribute turkey, shelf-stable items, and other foods.
Nov. 24, 4-6 p.m.
City of Greenacres City Hall, 5800 Melaleuca Lane, Greenacres
Feeding South Florida will partner with the City of Greenacres to distribute the first meals made at Feeding South Florida’s Community Kitchen, located at Feeding Palm Beach County, the organization’s Palm Beach County headquarters located in Boynton Beach. The new, state-of-the-art, 5,000-square-foot community kitchen was years in the making, and will provide meals to 1.5 million people in the four counties that Feeding South Florida serves (Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties).
The community can get involved in these distributions through volunteering and donating. In addition to an increase in need because of the pandemic, Feeding South Florida is also dealing with a reduction of food boxes provided through the USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), a program created with CARES Act funding. Feeding South Florida’s allocation has decreased from receiving 160 53’ trailer loads of food per week in phase 1, to 110 loads in phase 2, to 60 loads in phase 3, and now it is down to only 14 trailer loads per week in phase 4.
Feeding America food banks, including Feeding South Florida, have shared that at the end of December 2020, the country will experience a “commodity cliff,” which means food banks across the country will see more than a 50% reduction in food supply due to the expiration of the CARES ACT funding, USDA’s CFAP and Trade Mitigation commodity programs.
To maintain the same level of output that the organization has seen as a result of CFAP food, Feeding South Florida will need $8 million per month to purchase food–that’s enough for 40,000 to 50,000 households per week.
In addition to monetary donations (every $1 = 9 meals), Feeding South Florida is in need of volunteers to help pack family meal boxes, complete with fresh produce, protein, dairy and shelf-stable items. For more information and additional food distribution locations, visit Feeding South Florida’s COVID-19 response web page here.
