Task Force: Feed Charlotte
Right now there is a great need in our community to keep our food pantries open. Many of them have had to close their doors early because their shelves are empty. Just like the empty shelves of the people they serve. Many people, business, and organizations have already partnered with H.E.L.P. in Charlotte County to help keep these pantry shelves full. Charlotte County’s network of food pantries, feeding programs and outreach ministries are assisting an average15,000 people a month.
We are continuously working to raise enough money to regularly bring in two semi- trucks at a time from Feed The Children. The 53-foot semi-truck has a transit cost of $8,100. Each truck is designed to assist 400 families of four with supplemental food, dry goods and personal hygiene items for one week. Every time that we are able to bring in a shipment, it is divided among more than 26 food pantries, service agencies and outreach ministries right here in Charlotte County. The assistance stays local, and H.E.L.P. does not charge the organizations for the shipments.
In addition to bringing in Feed The Children Trucks we are always on the look out for opportunities to receive free food and supplies that are surplus from area distribution centers. We were even invited once to drive to Nashville and pick up water, snacks, and office furniture from Feed The Children. A company called Waste to Charity gets in household supplies on a regular basis, and occasionally food. We can go and get as much as we can fit in our vehicles for free. Please prayfully consider donating a trailer to HELP in Charlotte County so when these opportunitues do arise, we can benefit more from them. Again, the food and supplies we are able to obtain get distributed to our network of food pantries, feeding programs, outreach ministries, and government agencies. It stays right here in Charlotte County, and we do not charge the recipients for what we give them.