“I had to help them,” said Trish Kry, Executive Director at FAITH Neighborhood Center as she closed the door behind her. “Such beautiful babies!”
Kry had just provided a family with an emergency food kit, enough to last the father and 3 children a few days, plus information on how they can continue to obtain support. The father was in crisis, with no knowledge of where to turn, and had heard the Center could help. “I would never turn anyone away without getting them food for the next several days, especially when there are children involved,” said Kry.
FAITH Neighborhood Center has been operating in South Lake County since 1972 and has distributed hundreds of thousands of pounds of food over the years. But since the pandemic, the need has been overwhelming.
This holiday season is predicted to bring unprecedented challenges for families and individuals in our community already struggling with food insecurity. Whereas, in 2019, the Center served 600 families with a holiday meal in December, in 2020 they provided over 900 holiday food kits. They are planning to distribute these many kits again in 2021, or even more!
To provide 900 meal kits to neighbors and community members requiring assistance, the Center needs to gather over 60,000 pounds of food before the holiday!
To make matters more challenging, national shortages are leading to a lack of traditional holiday proteins such as turkeys and hams. To provide full holiday meal kits the Center is working with partners to source alternative proteins but estimate this will increase costs by $8,000 over last year.
The needs of the community do not end at the holidays. “According to my reports, this recovery is predicted to be slower than the one in 2008 after the crash,” says Kry. In addition to food services, FAITH Neighborhood Center also employs a social worker to help connect clients with medical services, job training, and other resources.
These services, along with the food provided by the Center, are all supported through donations and volunteers. “90 percent of the work we do is accomplished by volunteers, and 10 percent by staff. We are a very small team so all of our resources can go back to our clients,” explains Kry.
So far, the Center has succeeded in securing 45,000 pounds, but needs support from the entire community to reach their goal of 60,000 pounds! They have identified several ways the community can help the reach their goals:
- Volunteer – Their goal is to recruit 222 volunteers by 2022. Future volunteer projects include painting the Center, filling meal kits, and more. Postcards about these opportunities are being sent out throughout the community. Volunteers can register here: https://forms.gle/1NwQ3sERonz3VnPFA
- Donate – Through their network of food partners, the Center can make cash donations go further. For every $1 donated can purchase $10 retail value of food. You can donate here: https://www.fnclake.org/#make-donation
- Deliver food items – If you prefer to donate food items, they can be brought to the Center at 14727 Timber Village Road, Groveland, FL 34736 during office hours listed on the website. Clients often need the following items:
- Grocery gift cards in any amount
- Canned vegetables
- Diapers
- Tomato sauce
- Canned and packaged fruit
- Rice, pasta, and other sides
- Canned Meat
- Shelf stable boxed milk
- All food items need to be fresh and in unopened sealed packages. To maintain food safety, we can only accept turkeys and other meats brought directly to our Center after purchase with receipt.
- Host a drive for donations in your community or office. – Many churches and local businesses and organizations have partnered with FAITH Neighborhood Center over the years by giving their support in many ways. It may be by sharing surplus foods, by sponsoring fundraising events, or by other means of support. https://www.fnclake.org/#make-donation
FAITH Neighborhood Center hopes to share good news to the community after holiday food distributions on December 14, 15, 16, and 17, 2021.
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FAITH (Feed and Instruct the Hungry) Neighborhood Center is a non-profit 501c organization dedicated to providing services for those needing assistance in South Lake County Florida. Although not faith based, many local churches support the Center with food, household items, and monetary donations. Located in Groveland, Florida, the Center serves the nearby communities of Clermont, Montverde, Groveland, Mascotte, Minneola, and points south to the county line.
The Center is operated by seven employees and over 100 volunteers. All services provided are free. Many individuals, churches, governmental and private organizations, and grants support the Center.
Website: www.fnclake.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FNC123
