Suncoast Credit Union Celebrates Commitment to Fighting Hunger During Pay It Forward Day
Volunteers pack more than 10,000 pounds of food, tour school programs and celebrate $500,000 investment in Harry Chapin Food Bank’s future
Harry Chapin Food Bank celebrated Suncoast Credit Union’s continued commitment to fighting hunger in Southwest Florida during its annual Pay It Forward Day in early October.
Nearly 100 Suncoast employees and family members gathered at Harns Marsh Middle School in Lehigh Acres, where they packed 3,533 bags of potatoes and carrots, totaling 10,599 pounds of nutritious food for neighbors facing hunger.
The school was a fitting location for the event, as it hosts a Harry Chapin Food Bank distribution and school pantry and also receives support from Suncoast Credit Union. Before volunteering, employees toured the school’s garden and pantry, gaining a firsthand look at programs helping students and families in the community.
“We’re really excited and pleased and proud of our partnership with Suncoast Credit Union,” said Richard LeBer, president and CEO of Harry Chapin Food Bank. “They support us in so, so many ways.”
The day also featured the unveiling of the first Harry Chapin Food Bank truck displaying the organization’s refreshed brand and recognizing Suncoast’s support. The reveal highlighted the credit union’s $500,000 contribution to the food bank’s Feeding the Future capital campaign, which will help expand food storage and distribution capacity at its new Hunger Action Center in Fort Myers.
“It’s an unfortunate reality that food insecurity affects many, many people in this region,” said Bob, representing Suncoast Credit Union. “As part of our mission of people helping people, we want to be part of that solution.”
From supporting school programs and volunteering to investing in the food bank’s future, Suncoast Credit Union continues to make a meaningful impact on hunger relief across Southwest Florida.
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Harry Chapin Food Bank, a Feeding America partner food bank, is the largest hunger-relief organization in Southwest Florida. Through its network of agency partners, mobile distributions and programs, the food bank serves nearly 300,000 neighbors each month across its five-county footprint: Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee. From July 2025 through June 2026, Harry Chapin Food Bank distributed 40 million pounds of food, including 15.9 million pounds of fresh produce—the equivalent of approximately 33.4 million meals. The organization receives support from individuals, businesses, foundations, grocery stores and food distributors. Harry Chapin Food Bank is an Agency Partner of United Way and a Blueprint Partner of Naples Children Foundation, rated as a Four-Star Charity by Charity Navigator and Platinum-rated by Candid’s GuideStar. For more information, visit HarryChapinFoodBank.org or call 239-334-7007.