Each morning across Southwest Florida — in churches, pantries, and parking lots — something powerful happens. Doors open, food boxes are packed, warm meals are shared — and lives are quietly transformed.
At the heart of this outreach is Harry Chapin Food Bank’s Agency Partner Program, our largest and most powerful distribution network. More than 175 agency partners across Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee counties rely on the food bank for the majority of their inventory — often more than 70% of the food they distribute.
These organizations are embedded in their communities, strategically located across our five-county footprint. Some distribute shelf-stable items. Others have the capacity to serve hot meals. Many can store fresh produce, refrigerated, and frozen products. Each one, whether small or large, serves neighbors with love — ensuring that when someone needs food, it is available.
Stories of Strength and Shared Humanity
At All Souls Episcopal Church in North Fort Myers, the line starts early. Inside, the aroma of a hot meal — ham, turkey, and cheese sandwiches — fills the air. For Ginger, a mother of two living with her family on a small boat, this space offers more than nourishment.
“Everyone here is so wonderful. They worry if I don’t show up,” she says with a smile that masks the quiet burden of making ends meet.
In Naples, at another partner location — the Salvation Army pantry — Minna, 78, who has lived with disability for over two decades, arrived early. She stayed to guide a young mother and her toddler through their first visit.
“I always open doors for others,” she says. That day, it was both literal and symbolic.
And then there’s Dorothy, a 91-year-old firecracker with a cane and a New York accent. She attends the Salvation Army pantry regularly. Fluent in four languages and wise from a life of caregiving and nursing, she speaks with joy about the fresh vegetables she received.
“I do the best I can,” she says. “Which is easy, because the people here are so pleasant!”
Further south, in Everglades City, we met Attila, 82. Once a weekly volunteer at the Everglades Community Pantry, he now receives food assistance while caring for his disabled partner. He still brings his joyful energy and love for cooking — scanning boxes for fresh herbs and hot peppers, looking for ingredients to inspire his next dish.
More Than Food — A Lifeline
These stories — different names, different faces — tell a shared truth: the people we serve are resilient and deeply grateful. They are seniors, caregivers, parents, and neighbors. They are the heart of our community.
Behind every story is a lifeline: Harry Chapin Food Bank. And behind us are the donors, volunteers, and advocates who make it all possible.
In fiscal year 2024, Harry Chapin Food Bank distributed nearly 40 million pounds of food, including more than 10.5 million pounds of fresh produce. Our Feeding Network is here for the long haul.
But the need continues to grow — and so must our response.
You Can Help
We invite you to join us.
Volunteer. Make a Gift. Share these stories.
Because when we nourish each other, we do more than feed bodies — we strengthen our community.
To make a gift, click here.
To volunteer, click here.
To find food, click here.