by Marty Proctor
Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida provided a semi full of meat, produce, bread, canned goods, juice and milk March 25. FAITH Neighborhood Center (FNC) utilized its grounds, facilities, and volunteers to distribute the food. The South Lake Food Drop served 246 families were served in one day. Those families represented 1051 South Lake residents and 459 children. Each family was logged in and documented by FNC to report back to Second Harvest.
Devoy Johnson drove the Second Harvest semi up to FNC at 9:30 am. The FNC volunteers were ready and waiting. They helped facilitate the offloading of the truck. Mr. Johnson’s skill allowed the truck to enter the parking lot safely. Quick work with the electric pallet jack and liftgate got the food unloaded and in place quickly. Devoy stated, “yes, I do this every day. In fact, this is the only real job I’ve ever had.” His 17 years experience was clear as he handled the delivery.
The FNC Staff had laid out a plan and pathway to distribute the food. The pallets were quickly placed and the volunteers swarmed to create individual portions. It became clear that Second Harvest had mostly packed the food into family-sized packages. Mr. Johnson added, “the Second Harvest works to make the distribution as easy as possible. Ricardo Riblado is our manager and he keeps me and the machine running smoothly.”
The Center volunteers and staff are ever mindful of the Coronavirus concerns. Each team member was logged in and given a quick medical check by dedicated and frequent volunteer Richard Lindgren who happens to be a nurse. The volunteers were given instruction on “social distancing.” The FNC Staff had created a plan to get the food into the client’s vehicles with minimal or no interpersonal interaction. The volunteers had clear instructions and efficiently worked to get almost 100 pounds of food into each family vehicle.
There were over 100 vehicles waiting when the distribution started. Each vehicle was carefully shepherded to a single line through the parking lot. Three stations were set up for delivery. Volunteers placed frozen meat, milk first. Then the juice and fresh fruit station. The third station focused on bread and canned goods.
The Groveland Police, off-duty officers from Clermont, and even a relocated NYPD officer were on hand all morning to ensure safe and efficient flow of traffic on Timber Village Road. It is vital that the Center not interfere with neighboring businesses and residents. Special thanks to all who helped check-in the clients and guide the vehicles while keeping social distancing standards in place.
“The South Lake food drop and distribution were coordinated by FNC and Second Harvest,” said Felicia Stewart the Center’s Coordinator. “Another drop is scheduled for April 3 from 10 am to 1 pm. The entire event is ‘coordinated chaos’ and client and volunteer safety and health are paramount. The food drop and distribution went smoothly and safely,” said Patricia Kry Executive Director.
There are many ways to help clients at FNC. Cash donations allow volunteers and staff to purchase much-needed food. The Center, through Second Harvest, the USDA and other agencies and partners can generally purchase food at a much lower cost, often at less than 10% of the retail cost at the grocery. So cash contributions go a long way. Volunteering is fun and easy with limited time commitments and a variety of task options.
Learn more at faithneighborhoodcenter.com, call at 352-429-1200, or visit at 14727 Timber Village Road in Groveland.
