Second Harvest North Florida 1502 Jessie Street Jacksonville, FL 32206 WeNourishHope.org twitter.com/wenourishhope facebook.com/wenourishhope
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Second Harvest North Florida October 2010 WeNourishHope.org
Food Matters ‘Hunger Caravan’ serves rural Florida people in need All of us have felt the negative effects of the recession, but the blow is felt harder in communities where there are fewer job opportunities and fewer resources for people to rely on for help. Unemployment is reaching as high as 20 percent in some of the rural areas of north Florida, and the few agencies that provide food in these counties have been taxed beyond their ability to serve.
The mission of Second Harvest North Florida is to distribute food and grocery products to hungry people and to educate the public about the causes and possible solutions to problems of domestic hunger.
26th Annual Empty Bowls Luncheon One in six adults and one in five children in north Florida are hungry, not just with growling stomachs until their next meal, but hungry because they have no money to buy food or means to get food. The Empty Bowls Luncheon has grown over the years because so many individuals and businesses in Jacksonville have taken the opportunity on this one day to reach out to those who need help. Proceeds from the event will enable Second Harvest North Florida to provide nutritious, healthy food and education to our neighbors who are not able to provide for themselves. Join over 1,500 other attendees on this one day to hear firsthand testimonies about hunger in our community, be served a simple soup and bread lunch from local celebrities and take away a handmade “empty bowl” as a token of our appreciation and as a constant reminder that there are thousands who are hungry in our community every day. Make it an outing for friends and work colleagues. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at WeNourishHope.org or by calling 904.739.7074. Table and event sponsorships are also available. Tuesday, Nov. 16 at Prime Osborn Convention Center Doors open at 11:15 a.m. Program is from 12 to 1 p.m.
“Elderly people weren’t getting their meds because they had to choose between meds and food.”
In response to this emergency situation, Second Harvest North Florida reacted with an urgent relief program called the “Hunger Caravan”. Over a period of seven weeks, we mobilized a traveling food distribution team that brought food to over 3,000 people in need. Lawrence in Alachua County was grateful for the food he received. “I haven’t had any work in six months. The only work I get is from people who know me and need some work on their vehicles,” Lawrence said. When asked what the food distribution meant for him, he replied, “It means everything right now. These people are great. They have really blessed us by coming here.” Between Aug. 17 and Oct. 7, the Hunger Caravan traveled to Alachua, Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, Clay, Duval, Nassau, Columbia and Suwannee counties to work with local agencies who have been trying to keep up with the need.
Pastor Ed Steves from Faith Baptist Church in Green Cove Springs has been feeling the pressure of keeping up with a growing demand for food. “We’ve been feeding 2,000 people a month for the last four to five months,” he said. “Elderly people weren’t getting their meds because they had to choose between meds and food. Now they can get their meds because we’re giving them enough food to get through the month.” Another volunteer working with Journey Church in Nassau County had this to say about the impact of the recession on her neighbors, “I deliver food to the people who can’t get out and stand in lines like these,” she said. “I see how it touches their hearts. I see the empty refrigerators and I know that lots of times it’s the last piece of bread in the cupboard.” Another woman who came for food summed up her feelings about the Hunger Caravan in this way, “The Lord took one loaf of bread and fed a lot of people.
That’s how I see what you’re doing here today. It’s going to help a lot of people in the community that need the help.”
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