The second annual Suwannee Valley Food Fight to End Hunger, organized by Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative, is in the books.
Throughout August, Cheek & Scott Pharmacy, First Federal Bank, The Florida Peanut Federation, Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative and Walt’s Live Oak Ford held a friendly competition to collect the most money and non-perishable food items for the Florida Gateway Food Bank.
Together, the community-minded organizations raised $1,325 and collected 1,549 pounds of food. The money alone can be leveraged by the food bank to provide approximately 15,900 nutritious meals to local people in need.
“September is National Hunger Awareness Month and we are very grateful to our partners for uniting with us to fight hunger and have a positive impact on local families,” says Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative Director of Communications, Jon Little.
According to data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 1 in 7 residents of the Suwannee Valley are food insecure. Food insecurity refers to the USDA’s measure of lack of access to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members. Food-insecure households are not necessarily food insecure all the time, but may face trade-offs between important basic needs, such as housing or medical bills, and purchasing nutritionally adequate foods.
“With the current state of our economy locally and across the nation, these donations are needed more than ever,” says Florida Gateway Food Bank Manager, David Boozer. “We have a great need for food in our community, and we are seeing more and more families visit us each day. These donations will be distributed immediately and will impact many.”
