Harry Chapin Food Bank working to meet need for food distribution

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Harry Chapin mobile food pantry (Credit: WINK News)

At the Harry Chapin Food Bank, product is coming in quick and going out fast.

“We’re doing distributions close to, totaling, approaching 1 million pounds a week,” said CEO Richard LeBer, and they need more food to fill the need.

Thanks to a federal $3 billion distribution plan, they can. The U.S. recently announced a plan to help feed more people as food distribution lines get longer.

“We got our very first shipment in last week, but we got a couple of truckloads in yesterday,” LeBer said.

The boxes consisted of milk and produce like apples and pears.

“It adds to our fresh produce and adds to our meat and protein, which are scarce items for us,” LeBer said.

Those items will help feed some 600 families at the Lee Civic Center, like Bill Faudel, who’s picking up food for his neighbors.

A couple of the neighbors said, ‘Hey we’re kind of struggling,'” he said. “Another neighbor says there’s a place down here that offered some essentials, so we came down to come check it out.”

“The money that the people from the community send to support Harry Chapin will buy that much more food that can be given out at pantries like this,” said volunteer Maureen Yuster.

Lee County also set aside $3 million to help local food banks.

For Harry Chapin’s current distribution schedule, click here.

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