Another month has gone by and the Farm Bill is still not passed. Nothing related to our food crisis has changed so I won’t rehash what I said last month. Congress needs to pass the Farm Bill.
Our kitchen project is coming along. If you walked into the 1600 square foot area it covers, I think you would recognize it as a kitchen under construction with huge range hoods, a walk-in cooler, sinks, etc. We expect the entire process to be completed in late April and will begin a test phase in May to ensure it’s ready for the start of our Summer Lunch service, a program that serves children, which begins June 2. In addition, the kitchen is also ready to serve the entire community as a disaster relief meal production site should any serious storm touch the Central Gulf Coast.
Construction of our Florida branch facility has not started. But, permit requests for initiation of the project have been submitted to the officials in Santa Rosa County and once approved, the land clearing and preparation will begin. We have begun seeking funding support from various foundations and organizations for racking equipment, emergency power and other items needed to make the best possible use of the warehouse. The new warehouse will significantly improve our ability to provide fresh and frozen food to the church pantries, soup kitchens and residential programs we serve. So we are very anxious to finish this project!
May is an important month for us, so we have already starting working with the Letter Carriers and postal officials to get ready for the annual Letter Carriers Food Drive, May 10th. Food Banks across America participate, but the results of the Food Drive are particularly important for us with our coastal location. We will be checking and sorting all the donations collected by the Letter Carriers and then place most of it in our storage racks to hold as an emergency food reserve through the summer. If a storm should hit, the food will be distributed during the first days following the storm while roads are cleared and supplies from outside the area begin to arrive. If no storms hit, we’ll breathe a sigh of relief and use the food as part of our distribution effort this fall. Wherever you are, mark May 10th on your calendar and hang some canned goods on your mail box. It is guaranteed to help someone.
Enjoy the spring weather!
