The Harry Chapin Food Bank is partnering with Publix in “Let’s Feed Lee,” a food drive to bring in some of the most-needed staples for the more than 150 partner agencies the food bank serves. Residents are invited to shop any of Publix Super Markets’ 35 Lee County stores from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, to support the mission to lead our community in the fight to end hunger.
Participating is easy. Just go to a store, purchase one or more items, and donate them as you leave to the food bank staff and volunteers set up in the lobby or outside.
In Lee County, 87,840 people are food insecure, according to the 2018 Map the Meal Gap study conducted by the Feeding America network of food banks, which includes the Harry Chapin Food Bank. People who are food insecure often don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Of that number, 26,930 are children.
In addition, about two-thirds of public school children in Southwest Florida are eligible for or receive free or reduced-price meals from their school because of their families’ low income.
Any donation of nonperishable food is welcome, but the items most needed are breakfast bars, canned fish or chicken, beans – dry or canned, other canned vegetables, cooking oil, pasta, pasta sauce, tomato sauce, dry milk, jelly, rice, cans of soup and beef stew.