Community Food Bank (CFB) Celebrates 10 Years of Service
Public Invited to Open House and Celebratory Ribbon Cutting
The Community Food Bank (CFB) is excited to celebrate 10 years of providing food assistance throughout our community. An open house and celebratory ribbon cutting ceremony courtesy of the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce will be held to commemorate the CFB’s work over the past 10 years while looking ahead to the future:
Community Food Bank
10-Year Anniversary Open House and Ribbon Cutting
Tuesday, April 18th
4:00pm
(Ribbon Cutting Ceremony – 4:30pm)
CFB CEO and Executive Director Barbara Sprague will introduce the community to the agency’s Ending Hunger Campus, which includes vehicles, refrigerated trucks, forklifts, and two 7,000 sq. ft. warehouses equipped to receive, sort, store, and distribute food to the CFB’s 60+ partnering agencies. Attendees will have the opportunity to see first-hand the level of impact being rallied to meet the changing needs of those in crisis throughout our community.
“We share the blessing of this facility to provide for those facing hunger, and our impact with everyone who enjoys the Nature Coast and all of its sparkle,” says Sprague.
Since opening in 2013, the CFB has distributed 30,000,000 pounds of food (more than 30 million meals) throughout Citrus, Hernando, and Sumter counties. During its first year of operation, the CFB provided 953,008 meals to approximately 10,000 people. Today, the CFB feeds more than 70,000 people each month through 60+ partner agencies.
“We’ve continued to grow and respond to the need,” explains Sprague. “We are so fortunate to live in a community with individuals and businesses who are always willing to step up to the plate to help their neighbors in need.”
John Marmish, Johnny Cash, Debbie Lattin, JoAnne Boggus, Wayne Dupler, Steve Ponticos, and Phil Scarpelli were the founding members who served on the original Board of Directors in 2013. Ponticos (current BOD President), Marmish, and Boggus continue to serve on the CFB’s Board of Directors today, while Cash is a member of the CFB Advisory Board.
As the CFB looks into the future, their vision is quite clear.
“We want to continue to have the capacity and ability to meet the food insecurity needs of our community,” says Sprague. “As a community partner, we will work to educate, inspire, and impact those in need by supporting the resources, efforts, and programs by elevating individuals and families from poverty and homelessness to becoming active and productive members of our area workforce and local communities.”
