Blue Foundation grant to provide nearly 170,000 meals for north Floridians

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Food banks in north Florida and across the state have new support to meet the increased demand for their resources. Today at Second Harvest North Florida, The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida announced a $250,000 grant to Feeding America (formally Second Harvest). Second Harvest North Florida is one of eight affiliated food banks across the state benefiting from the grant.

Feeding America works to secure food and grocery products on a national level to distribute, as needed, to local food banks. For this grant, Feeding America is working with the Florida Association of Food Banks to allocate funds statewide based on population and poverty levels. Second Harvest North Florida receives $27,300.

For every $1, Second Harvest North Florida helps to provide six meals for local men, women and children who are hungry.  It can now purchase an additional 128,000 pounds of food equaling 163,800 meals with this support.

“The demand for food is greater than ever,” said Rebecca Brislain, executive director, Florida Association of Food Banks.  “Food banks are seeing a rise in the number of people who can’t keep up with rising cost of living in their community. They have lost their jobs, are unable to find work and can’t afford their mortgage or even food.”

According to Thomas Mantz, executive director, Second Harvest North Florida, food banks in north Florida distributed more than 10 million pounds of food last year.

“This grant is part of The Blue Foundation’s Embrace a Healthy Florida initiative,” said Susan Towler, executive director, The Blue Foundation. “The Embrace initiative works to combat childhood and family obesity in part by increasing access to healthy foods.  Feeding America and the Florida Association of Food Banks and their affiliated food banks accomplish this by providing nutritional food for people who might otherwise skip meals or resort to eating unhealthy foods that are often more affordable.”

PICTURED: Representatives of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida and the Blue Foundation present a check to Second Harvest North Florida on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010.

About Second Harvest North Florida
Second Harvest North Florida is the oldest and largest program of Lutheran Social Services of Northeast Florida. LSS was founded in 1979 by area Lutherans and business leaders to fill gaps in services offered in the community for people in need. Second Harvest gathers food from local and national sources, shares these resources with more than 500 nonprofit organizations in 18 north Florida counties and helps thousands of people each year who are hungry or at risk of not having being able to provide food for themselves and their families. In addition to collecting and distributing food, Second Harvest serves children in after-school programs through its Kids Cafe and in summer camps through its Summer Lunch program. It also takes Mobile Pantries filled with Family Boxes of food to people living in neighborhoods with the greatest needs. Call 904.730.8234 for more information about any of these programs and services.

About The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida
The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida is a separate, philanthropic affiliate of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSF) incorporated in the state of Florida. The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida, and its parent, BCBSF, are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. For more information on The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida, please visit its Web site at www.bluefoundationfl.com.

About Feeding America
Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity, network members supply food to more than 25 million Americans each year, including 9 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks support 63,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit http://www.feedingamerica.org.