“NO ONE SHOULD EVER GO HUNGRY TO FEED THEIR PET”
Last year, as officials of Harry Chapin Food Bank (HCFB) discussed a proposed new Hunger Action Center (just off 75 at Martin Luther King Blvd.) with a satellite facility in Naples, one topic kept coming up. People in our community are literally going hungry or stopped taking their medications in order to buy food for their pets. The Board, of which I am one, immediately agreed something must be done and decided to add pet food to its shelves at the new Center, scheduled to open the end of this year.
Richard LeBer, HCFB CEO, says, “For many of the neighbors we serve, especially seniors and those living alone, their pet is their closest companion. Choosing between feeding themselves and feeding their pets is a choice no one should have to make. By providing pet food alongside groceries, we’re helping people stay together with the animals they love while continuing to fulfill our mission of leading the community in the fight to end hunger.”
To meet this critical need until the new Center is open, HCFB is making pet food available, as needed, to its 175 agency partners, as part of its regular food distribution system, so agencies can provide the pet food directly to neighbors in need. However, pet food is based on availability, consisting primarily of dry dog and cat food and wet when donated.
With the construction of the new Center, neighbors will have the opportunity to select food for themselves and their pets all in one place, as well as occasional pet-related items depending on donations. In an effort to assure a consistent supply of pet food, HCFB is building relationships with pet food manufacturers and retailers to increase the amount available. According to LeBer, there has been interest from companies willing to donate product, and HCFB is working to strengthen those partnerships to better meet the growing need.
Due to the growth in human food insecurity in SWFL, HCFB’s new Hunger Action Center in Lee County will double the size of the food bank’s old, small and technologically inferior warehouse in Fort Myers. The new Center will be more than 110,000 square feet, doubling the size of current operations.
“Our community faces an unacceptable hunger crisis,” says LeBer. “One in eight of our neighbors, including one in six children, rely on hunger relief services. This need doubles or even triples during natural disasters.”
The Food Bank serves around 300,000 people per month in five counties, including Collier, Lee, Hendry, Glades, and Charlotte. Working with its 175 partner agencies, like St. Matthew’s House and Our Daily Bread, Harry Chapin distributes 40 million pounds of food annually to those in need. Approximately 13% is distributed in Collier County.
“It’s projected to only get worse,” says LeBer, who notes, “a national research institute estimates the current SWFL need could grow to 50 million pounds in 2030 and possibly double by 2050.”
Because of this growing need and current warehouse challenges, Harry Chapin Food Bank officially launched its $30 million campaign to build the new Hunger Action Center and a Naples satellite last year. While the Lee County location is well underway and expected to be open by the end of this year, the Naples facility is still in the planning stage.
Just like human food insecurity, the need for pet food will also continue to grow. One neighbor Lura Lee who has visited Helping Hands Food Pantry for six years after a cancer diagnosis and loss of income says, “My cat is the love of my life…my baby. When you adopt pets, they are part of your life. You have to take care of them like they’re part of your family. Pets don’t understand if you have to give them up because you can’t feed them and take care of them,” she noted.
“There is so much need and we need to make sure we have enough donations for pets. I have neighbors who are 65 and older and they are going through tough financial times and the first thing they have to give up is their pet,” Lura Lee added.
HCFB needs additional support from generous SWFL residents to meet its $30 million campaign goal and build the Naples Center. If you are willing, please donate to the Hunger Action Center with a gift of dollars or food, please reach out to Jennifer Denike, HCFB Chief Development Officer, at (239) 334-6881.
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