Suncoast Credit Union Partners With Community Food Bank To Fight Hunger
$20,000 Donation Provides Equipment For Food Programs
(Homosassa, FL) – The Community Food Bank (CFB) received a $20,000 donation from Suncoast Credit Union to provide equipment to help the CFB continue facilitating local backpack initiatives and support food programs for all school-aged children.
“Many of our local schools report at least 50% of their students are on either free or reduced lunch,” says Barbara Sprague, executive director of the CFB. “The generous $20,000 grant from Suncoast Credit Union will help us purchase and maintain the equipment needed to ensure agencies are able to deliver services to school-aged children struggling with hunger throughout our local community.”
The CFB is actively working with agencies such as Citrus County Blessings, People Helping People, and the Citrus County School District to help children in need receive nourishing meals in school, over the weekend, and during school breaks.
Christina Reed, executive director of Citrus County Blessings, says her agency relies heavily on warehouse space and equipment provided by the CFB.
“We could use an entire warehouse just for the food we need for our programs,” explains Reed. “The CFB warehouse is where our monthly orders come in and where we bring our volunteers to build each pallet of food for our pantries. When the CFB has the proper equipment to execute these tasks, it makes our visits there much more efficient and better equips us to prep food for distribution to our sites.”
“Suncoast Credit Union has made numerous monetary contributions to the CFB over the years, making a significant impact in the local fight against hunger,” says Steve Ponticos, President of the CFB board of directors. “We applaud their continued efforts to help us fulfil our mission to promote awareness, inspire involvement, and end hunger in Citrus, Hernando, and Sumter counties.
The CFB is looking for more Hunger Heroes. Please visit feed352.org for information on how to make a donation or volunteer your time to help end hunger and nourish hope.
About Community Food Bank
The Community Food Bank (CFB) serves more than 70,000 individuals each month by acquiring and distributing nutritious food to more than 50 pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters. Founded in 2013, the organization has provided more than 21 million meals to individuals and households struggling to pay for basic needs. The CFB fulfills its mission thanks to the generous support of private donors, corporate sponsors including: Black Diamond Foundation, Inc., Fairman Foundation, Accessibility Services, Inc., Walmart Foundation, Publix Supermarket Charities, U.S. Family Foundation, Inc., Crystal Motor Car Co. & Employees, Citrus County Community Charitable Foundation, Inc., Foley & Lardner LLP and Keith Taylor Law Group, PA. The CFB is a partner of Feeding Tampa Bay. For more information, follow the CFB on Facebook or visit feed352.org.
About Suncoast Credit Union
Suncoast Credit Union is the largest credit union in the state of Florida, the 10th largest in the United States based on membership, and the 10th largest in the United States based on its $14.3 billion in assets. Chartered in 1934 as Hillsborough County Teachers Credit Union, Suncoast Credit Union currently operates 75 full-service branches and serves more than 985,000 members in 40 counties across Florida. As a community credit union, anyone who lives, works, attends school, or worships in Suncoast Credit Union’s service area is eligible for membership. In 2021, Suncoast Credit Union’s field of membership was expanded to include public K-12 teachers, college educators, and educational support staff from all of Florida’s 67 counties. Suncoast is passionate about community support. Since its founding in 1990, the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation has raised and donated more than $32 million to organizations and initiatives that support the health, education, and emotional well-being of children in the communities that the credit union serves. For more information, visit suncoastcreditunion.com or follow us on social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
