- The Junior League of Tallahassee and Second Harvest of the Big Bend fed thousands of Leon County neighbors for the sixth year in a row.
- The 'Big Bend Bites Food Distribution' is meant to fill the gap during Spring Break, when the daily source of food from schools goes away for a week.
- Watch the video to hear from neighbors explain why the help goes a long way.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Many families in Leon County rely on our schools and universities for meals every day. But, when Spring Break rolls around, it puts a pause on that kind of access to food. I'm Kenya Cardonne, your Southeast Tallahassee neighborhood reporter. Second Harvest of the Big Bend and the Junior League of Tallahassee teamed up to fill that gap.
Lisa Lohman, Junior League of Tallahassee - "We had people lining up at two o'clock in the morning here. So, I think that speaks volumes to the need that is here."
The need for food during Spring Break.
When students across Leon County wave goodbye to their schools for a week, most of them also wave goodbye to their daily source of food.
Lohman - "So we want to help bridge that gap, make it a happy time for families. Maybe they can spend some time together versus worrying how they're going to feed their kids for that week and having to take money from another bill or something else that they're trying to do."
The Big Bend Bites Food Distribution saves the day for the sixth year in a row.
Volunteers from the Junior League of Tallahassee and Second Harvest of the Big Bend spent their Saturday in the rain, cranking out enough food to put 109,000 meals on the table for families this Spring Break.
Neighbor - "Oh, it means a whole lot for me and my family and my aunt's family."
Lohman - "You'll never forget the day you deliver a flyer to a kid and they say, 'We're going to get to eat for Spring Break!' You'll never forget that feeling, so to be able to help these families through this time where they don't have food coming at school, it's amazing."
From 150 boxes of food six years ago, to 1300 today— the Big Bend Bites Food Distribution has grown to help the ever-changing number of food insecure neighbors in Leon County.. which according to Feeding America, sits at more than 37,000 people.
Neighbors told me, "It gives us food for a week for Spring Break, which helps a lot right now being that food prices are through the roof." Another neighbor agreed, explaining that the cost of food is "too expensive," adding, "I'm scared to go in the store."
Junior League also gave out books and toothbrushes to families.
Neighbor - "It is very grateful and heartwarming and we do appreciate it."
The Junior League of Tallahassee tells me they plan to keep these going every year, scaling up the number of meals they provide. In Southeast Tallahassee, Kenya Cardonne ABC 27.
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