Janelle Irwin Taylor
Like much of the U.S., members of Farm Share will be sharing reasons to be grateful this Thanksgiving, and for the food distribution charity, 13.5 million pounds of its prime payload is enough to heap praise.
That’s the amount of food the organization provided to those in need throughout Florida this year in response to hurricanes. On top of that, the aid group also distributed 7 million pounds of supplies to areas hardest hit by storms this year, within two weeks of the devastation.
Supplies provided include water, nonperishable food and hygiene kits to families impacted by Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton.
The donations are made possible by generous donors, Farm Share staff, volunteers, community partners and support from the Legislature.
“Hurricanes can change lives in an instant, and we’ve seen firsthand the challenges Floridians face in the wake of these events,” Farm Share CEO Stephen Shelley said. “We’re grateful for the countless individuals and organizations who joined us in responding to these storms, and the Florida Legislature’s unwavering support to help ensure families had access to food and essential supplies when they needed them most.”
Farm Share works diligently in the aftermath of hurricanes and other natural disasters to prioritize immediate relief efforts in the days and weeks following devastation, often reaching impacted communities within just 24 hours of the event.
After Hurricane Debby, Farm Share was able to distribute food and supplies to North Florida residents, including in the Panhandle where the storm hit in August.
After Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Big Bend region in October, and brought devastation throughout much of the Gulf Coast through historic flooding, the organization delivered more than 2 million pounds of aid to hardest hit areas within just nine days, and a total of 5 million pounds to disaster-declared counties over the first four weeks following landfall.
And within just five days of Hurricane Milton’s landfall in the Sarasota area, Farm Share provided 2.4 million pounds of shelf-stable food, water and emergency meal kits to severely affected areas. In all, Farm Share delivered 8 million pounds of supplies to impacted counties.
Farm Share was particularly tested this year on its critical mission, which is to retrieve unused food from Florida farms and redistribute it to those in need. The organization, founded in 1991 in Homestead, was recently named America’s top food bank by Wall Street 24/7.
The group works to fight food insecurity in Florida while also reducing food waste from local farms, providing fresh fruits and vegetables to neighborhoods and communities throughout the Sunshine State.
