Food Bank of Manatee is hungry for help
BRADENTON (FOX 13) - The shelves at the Food Bank of Manatee are beginning to go bare.
"There is no canned meats, no peanut butter, no dry beans, no rice. Nothing like that. When we do get a donation and sort it the first pantry will come in and clean it out," said Cindy Sloan.
Cindy Sloan the vice president of the food bank says summer is a busy time. When school lets out, their supply diminishes.
"We come into the summer months and we are pretty well stocked. The pantry sees a pretty big increase for people coming to them for food because the children are out of school."
Now the Food Bank of Manatee has come up with a challenge for business owners and community members. They're trying to get a thousand pounds of food donated, or $1,000.
"We really need the community to help us, demand is up we need everyone's help. We are in a crisis this is critical," said Sheri Aiello with Meals on Wheels Plus.
They are hopeful once that goal is met that their shelves will stay stocked for a while.
"We'd like to try and teach the community that hunger is 365 days a year not just during November and December when people are being so generous," said Sloan.
More than 100 agencies use the Food Bank of Manatee. Many are churches and nonprofit groups that then go and distribute the donations to families in need.
"A pantry can see upwards to 150 to 200 families in a two-hour stretch so that takes a lot of food for them," said Sloan.
With a few months left of summer to go, the Food Bank of Manatee just wants to make sure everyone is fed and no one goes hungry.
You can donate food by dropping it off at the Food Bank of Manatee. They are located at 811 23rd Ave E. in Bradenton.
They also have barrel collection drop off stops at every Good Will, public library, and Manatee County Government office.
For more information on how you can help contact the Food Bank of Manatee at 941-747-4655.