March to a Million Meals: History of the Harry Chapin Food Bank

Reporter: Lois Thome
Published: Updated:
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Harry Chapin
Harry Chapin Food Bank origins. CREDIT: WINK News

How exactly did a ’70s folk singer become the namesake for the Harry Chapin Food Bank in Southwest Florida?

In 1983, the Lee County Food Cooperative was essentially a government food program while operating out of the old farmers market on Edison Avenue.

“We had a volunteer who was coming around the corner from Alicia Street, and the door fell off,” said Hawley Botchford, the founding CEO of the Harry Chapin Food Bank said.

No food, no money, but lots of problems.

“The warehouse was just a wooden floor, with holes in the floor. And we had one pallet jack, one warehouse guy,” said Joyce Botchford former associate director of the Harry Chapin Food Bank.

“We had one pallet jack, and the wheel broke, so we couldn’t move anything. And I had a board meeting that night and I told the board. They were sitting right there on this porch, ‘I need to pass the hat. I need $60 to pay for a wheel so we can move the food around the warehouse.’ That’s how poor we were,” Hawley said.

But Hawley, the new CEO, and Joyce Botchford, a sitting board member, had something more valuable, passion for the cause.

“It really hit me when they talked about children coming home from school. ‘What do your kids do?’ They look for something to eat. These kids will look for something to eat and not find it. And that just shouldn’t be,” said Hawley.

Two years later, they changed their name to the Southwest Florida Food Bank. Then, became part of a nationwide network of food banks through Feeding America.

“That’s where the Chapin Family came in,” said Hawley.

Another family who hungered for an end to the same problem. Harry Chapin was as famous for his music as he was for helping those in need, doing one concert for himself and another for hunger relief.

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