By Chuck Seaver, South Lake Tablet
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office recently hosted a food drive drop-off for Second Harvest Food Bank to kick off the holiday season for area residents who might be struggling this Christmas season. Together with WESH-2 News, the food drive, held at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office South District office, 15855 State Road-50, Clermont was coordinated to help families with food insecurities throughout the holiday season.
The food drive drop-off is an annual event hosted by the sheriff’s office to assist food bank providers throughout Lake County in getting food to families that have found themselves in challenging circumstances during difficult financial times. The event is supported by individual citizens and area civic organizations that either purchase or collect shelf-stable foods that are then dropped off to volunteers at the collection site.
Stephanie Palacios, Director of Advocacy & Government Relations for Second Harvest Food Bank states that the efforts by Sheriff Peyton Grinnell and his sheriff’s office team are appreciated. “We would like to give a special shout-out to the sheriff for hosting us here and for providing us with so much support this year,” says Palacios.
With a Mission Statement “To create hope and nourish lives through a powerful hunger relief network, while multiplying the generosity of a caring community,” the Second Harvest Food Bank is a Central Florida nonprofit organization that collects, stores, and distributes donated food to more than 750 feeding partners in seven Central Florida counties, including Lake County.
Last year with the help of volunteers, the food bank distributed enough food for 76 million meals to partner programs such as food pantries, soup kitchens, women’s shelters, senior centers, day care centers and Kids Cafes.
The need for food support is a year-round necessity that requires the help of citizens and organizations alike to be successful. Visit www.FeedHopeNow.org for more information on ways to volunteer, donate or stay connected with Second Harvest Food Bank.
