- "Envision No Hunger" aims to fill school food pantries through community donations for the fifth year running.
- Last year, the campaign helped open 8 new food pantries in schools; that's 36,000 more meals.
- Watch the video to find out why this campaign is so important and how you can contribute to its mission.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Filling school food pantries to help students stay full this school year. One collaboration is focused on doing just that for neighborhoods across Tallahassee.
Many families feeling the strain from inflated food costs.
It's a demand Second Harvest of the Big Bend knows all too well.
"With inflation, the cost of food rising, families having to operated on a more constricted budget," said Monique Ellsworth, CEO of Second Harvest of the Big Bend.
Over 20% of children in Leon County are food insecure.
"I have no doubt that we're going to see just as much need this coming school year," said Ellsworth.
Envision Credit Union and Second Harvest of the Big Bend are coming together for their annual "Envision No Hunger" Campaign.
"Think about it, when you're hungry, you're not focused on anything else but eating, right?," said Kelli Walter, VP of Community Development at Envision Credit Union.
Money raised by the community during this campaign will be used to stock food pantries in schools that are meeting the needs of more than just the student.
"When there's a single child in need, they're coming from a household that's in need as well," said Walter.
Eight new food pantries in different schools were opened last year alone, thanks to this campaign. That meant 400 more families each month received food to take home.
Supplies that are needed particularly in Northwest Tallahassee.
"The need is even higher there," said Ellsworth. "The volume of the children that are attending school have greater need, so we've seena. lot of effort, even from the school system, saying we want all the schools in this area to be participating."
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 51.1% of people in the 32304 zip code live in poverty, that's compared to the state average of 12.7%.
Walter said it's about ensuring students have the tools to succeed - a full belly is key to do just that.
"A big part of helping that child be successful and be able to focus and able to come to school and do what they need to do to do well," said Walter.
Neighbors can support the Envision No Hunger campaign by making a donation here. You have until August 18th to do that.
Envision will match donations up to $30,000.
