America’s Second Harvest Delivers Millions of Meals From Tampa Bay Food Bank

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) July 13, 2009 -- Tampa, FL - America’s Second Harvest of Tampa Bay (http://www.a2htampabay.org), a non-profit Food Bank, delivers food to 35,000 hungry people living in the Tampa Bay area every week. Almost a quarter of those people are children and more than a third of those people had to between buying food or paying their mortgage or utilities bills.

According to Willene Hayward, Volunteer Manager at America’s Second Harvest, they supply almost 10 million meals per year. The food gets picked up from their 50,000 sq ft warehouse in Tampa and distributed by over 300 churches and incorporated non-profit agencies like St. Vincent de Paul Society, Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Tampa Bay AIDS Network, Salvation Army Adult Rehab, and Metropolitan Ministries.

“I think we were put here to help each other. I like helping people,” said Willene, who has recently celebrated her 11th year at America’s Second Harvest of Tampa Bay. “Lots of people think of the holidays as the time to come out and help, but hunger is 365 days a year. That’s when we need you. Not just on the holidays,” concludes Willene.

It may come as a surprise to some that only 12 percent of those who receive food from the America’s Second Harvest Food Bank are homeless. So, while there are those who are so destitute they actually sleep on the street, an overwhelming 88 percent of those hungry mouths could be the children who are class with your sons and daughters, may be seated near you in church, or may be that very average looking person you passed walking down the street.

There is no way this could all be managed by the 20 employees at America’s Second Harvest Food Bank without the goodwill of the many donors and volunteers, according to Willene. Not a cent of government money is spent to support the operation.

There are large food processors who donate food. Like Tropicana who donated over 3,600 cartons of juice or the United Egg Producers who donated 122,000 dozen eggs this Easter for the second year.

Additionally, every month, there is an average of 500 local volunteers who help out at the Food Bank. These volunteers come from a variety of areas such as employees from companies like Sykes, Auto Trader and New York Life. And churches and schools participate, such as the Clearwater based Washburn Academy who sends their students to help out as part of the Volunteer Ministers Program of the Church of Scientology (www.volunteerministers.org).

America's Second Harvest of Tampa Bay (http://www.a2htampabay.org) is an Affiliate Member of the national America's Second Harvest food bank network serving 10 counties in west central Florida. Founded in 1982, they have processed and distributed 90 million pounds of safe and nutritious surplus food. For more information visit http://www.a2htampabay.org/. To volunteer, call Willene Hayward at 813-254-1190 ext 212, or email to whayward@a2htampabay.org.

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