Suncoast Credit Union Donation Propels Community Food Bank’s Mission
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.
