Harry Chapin Food Bank hits donation milestone for Giving Tuesday

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Harry Chapin Food Bank gives out 200 millionth pound of food as people stand in line, awaiting their free nourishment. Photo via WINK News.
Harry Chapin Food Bank gives out 200 millionth pound of food as people stand in line, awaiting their free nourishment. Photo via WINK News.

The Harry Chapin Food Bank just gave out it’s 200th million pound of food, a major milestone for a group that is constantly working to feed the hungry in Southwest Florida.

The Harry Chapin Food Bank has been a help to a lot of the community, in fact, 28,000 people are fed by the food bank per week.

As a veteran with disabilities, Arric Aaron says he relies on their services.

“Every dime I got is accounted for and by me not getting any food stamps and they give away food, it helps me a lot, it helps me get through the month,” he said.

And for many people like Yolanda Davis, the food bank allows them to buy Christmas gifts for their family.

“I’m out here for extra food with the holidays coming around, doing extra spending on toys and everything for the children so it helps out a lot at home,” Davis said.

Today’s mobile food pantry in Fort Myers came rolling in with 10,000 pounds of food. It’s a special stop for “Giving Tuesday,” marking the food bank’s 200th million pound of food in it’s 35th year.

“We’ve developed a network that is really efficient so we can leverage every one dollar donated in eight dollars worth of food,” said Mary Wozniak, marketing and communications manager at Harry Chapin.

And that food means more to these families than just filling their bellies.

The Harry Chapin Food Bank says there are about 154,000 people who are in need and rely on donations. If you’d like to help, you can visit their website for volunteer and donation details.

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