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The Community Food Bank (CFB) issued a matching donation challenge in June and is extending this fundraising effort through July 31^st. The Black Diamond Foundation will match up to $50,000 in donations.

The CFB has seen a rapid and sharp increase in the need for food assistance and expects this trend to continue. According to Barbara Sprague, CEO/Executive Director of the CFB, the agency has been able to respond to the demand thus far, which has more than doubled since the onset of the pandemic.

“We served approximately 30,000 individuals per month in 2019. That number has increased to more than 70,000,” explains Sprague. “We are preparing for that number to rise again.”

Sprague says she is becoming concerned because the agency is also seeing a rise in the cost of the food they purchase.

“Although we purchase food at a discount rate, prices are still going up,” says Sprague. “The dollar just doesn’t go as far as it did even a few months ago, which is why we are ramping up our fundraising efforts.”

Would you like to make a difference in the lives of thousands of individuals throughout our area? Partnering with the CFB is one way to make a big impact. Make a donation to the CFB before July 31^st and it will be matched dollar for dollar, thus doubling the difference you make. 

Visit our Donate page to learn more about becoming one of the CFB’s “Hunger Heroes.”

It’s already July, which means the holidays will be here before you know it.  We are thankful for the Rotary Club of Inverness as they have stepped up to the plate to help us prepare for what we expect to be an extremely busy holiday season.

The Community Food Bank is working hard to meet the increasing need for food assistance throughout our community, so when an organization presents us with a holiday “gift”, we are much obliged to receive. Thank you for your $1000 donation to provide 10,000 holiday meals on Thanksgiving and Christmas!

The Community Food Bank (CFB) has responded to a rapidly increasing need for food assistance that has more than doubled since the onset of the pandemic. We served approximately 30,000 individuals per month in 2019. That number has grown to more than 70,000.

We’ve recently qualified for a low-interest loan to acquire the Hunger Relief Complex located on W. Cardinal Street in Homosassa to help expand our efforts and reach. We are issuing a matching donation challenge to help offset the loan and be able to again operate debt-free. The Black Diamond Foundation will match up to $50,000 in donations.

Every Dollar You Donate Will Be Matched!

The CFB now operates from two warehouse structures for the purposes of receiving, sorting, packing, and delivering donated and low-cost food to the more than 60 food pantries, shelters, ministries, and senior centers the agency serves throughout Citrus, Hernando, and Sumter counties.

Thank you for your continued support to End Hunger and Nourish Hope throughout our community.

This Toyota 3000 Propane Forklift is among the new equipment purchased by the Community Food Bank thanks to a $20,000 grant from Suncoast Credit Union.

New Equipment Helps Facilitate Feeding Programs for School-Aged Children

The Community Food Bank (CFB) received a $20,000 donation from Suncoast Credit Union for the purpose of providing equipment to help the agency continue supporting local backpack and food programs for school-aged children. The CFB utilized the grant funds to purchase a Toyota 3000 Propane Forklift and a Raymond 8210 Pallet Truck.

“This equipment plays an integral role in helping us fulfill our mission to end hunger and nourish hope,” explains Barbara Sprague, Executive Director of the CFB. “Backpack and other feeding programs have experienced significant growth over the years, so this additional support equipment is crucial to the efficient sourcing and delivery of foods.”

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. According to Sprague, the feeding programs the CFB supports serve more than 2,300 children. This is projected to grow to more than 2,500 in the upcoming months.

“When we first began supporting feeding programs for school-aged children, they each served a few hundred students,” says Sprague. “This number continues to increase as more parents – many of whom are working adults – find themselves in need of food assistance.”

“We salute Suncoast Credit Union for helping us to be able to keep up with the demand,” says Steve Ponticos, President of the CFB board of directors. “Hunger is a real issue, and it is especially prevalent in Citrus, Hernando, and Sumter counties. We provide assistance to more than 70,000 people each month, something we simply could not do without the support of businesses such as Suncoast Credit Union.”

 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 $14.9 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 one million 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, Instagram, and Twitter.

Scouts BSA Troop 443B and BSA Cub Scout Pack 43 collected 2950 pounds of non-perishable foods to assist those in need in our community. The food was distributed to the local food pantries, ministries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other agencies we serve. Thank you so much for all your hard work and support to make a difference!