About the Food Bank

Since 1983, the Harry Chapin Food Bank has served as the only Food Bank in Southwest Florida (Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties). On an annual basis our Food Bank provides more than 13.7 million pounds of nutritious, quality food to more than 150 Partner Agencies that provide direct services to those in need. Partner Agencies are non-profit organizations that are comprised of church food pantries, neighborhood centers, a Kids Cafe, low-income housing sites, senior nutrition centers, family crisis centers, group homes, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, day care centers, rehabilitation facilities, and disaster relief agencies.

For many the thought of being hungry in America is unimaginable but for all too many the issue of hunger is a reality. Can you imagine the anxiety of a single mother with hungry children who has no budget for even inexpensive food? Or the fear in the heart of a senior citizen who struggles on a tiny, fixed income to buy life-saving medications, pay the utilities, and put food on the table? What about the shame and frustration of a service worker with a family whose paycheck each week is simply insufficient to feed his wife and children after all his other bills are paid?

The current economic environment has resulted in an increased number of those in need of emergency food. Most of these increases are directly attributable to the housing slump and the corresponding surge in unemployment. In fact, Lee County has been cited in the New York Times and elsewhere as the hardest hit of any U.S. county by the housing/mortgage crisis. According to a recent article by CNN.com/US (2009, February 23), Lee County, Florida, is one of the hardest-hit areas in the country and presents a microcosm of the national housing dilemma. With home prices down about 50 percent from their peak and unemployment now at 10 percent, the area is littered with "For Sale" and "Auction" signs. The increase in demand has been accompanied by a significant shift in the demographic profile of those being served by the emergency food system. The emergency food programs are seeing more and more families that have never previously had to ask for charitable assistance. The impact of the economy on livable wage construction jobs has been devastating. More and more of these families, many of whom were food drive donors in the past, are being forced to ask for aid.

In a proactive response to this unprecedented shift in demand the Harry Chapin Food Bank has taken a strategic approach to address hunger both today and tomorrow. In December of 2008, our organization secured a 48,000 square foot building (3760 Fowler Street) with a lease to own option. This new warehouse provides the capacity for future expansion and food distribution in an effort to meet the ongoing needs of hungry children, elderly, working poor and other disadvantaged families in Southwest Florida. The new structure has replaced our previously inefficient warehouse environment that included only 12,000 square feet of space with inadequate refrigeration and a secondary 20,000 square foot dry goods warehouse. Both of these facilities were inadequate in size, in logistical capacity, and as safe food environments.

Our organization evaluates our success in reaching all people that need our service through consistent monitoring of our Partner Agencies, by our full time Agency Relations Manager, to ensure that there is equitable, safe and effective food distribution to those in need. Our agency relations manager provides technical support services on site during a regular visit. Services include providing educational materials on food safety standards during an agency site visit, and providing our Partner Agencies with examples of “best practices” gleaned from other organizations. In addition, valuable information such as order history and food availability is discussed to increase efficiency and improve overall communication between the Partner Agency and Food Bank.

Another measure of success is the output or distribution of food into the communities we serve. Our organization tracks the number of pounds distributed and each agency provides monthly reports of the specific populations served (duplicated numbers). Our organization has the technical capacity to provide monthly, quarterly, and/or annual reports indicating pounds and numbers served upon request by the donor. Our organization prides itself on maintaining quality assurances and measurable records to effectively communicate our success and for purposes of assessment to identify future needs and strategic growth.