VERO BEACH — Seacoast National Bank has joined forces with WPTV Channel 5 as a sponsor for the 2010 Bill Brooks’ Food For Families community food drive for a third consecutive year. Over the past five years, WPTV’s Bill Brooks’ Food For Families initiative has collected an average of 600,000 pounds of food per year in Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties.
The bank recently announced that Harvest Food & Outreach Center’s Emergency Food Box program is the recipient of non-perishable food donations collected at Seacoast banking locations in Indian River County from mid-October through November 22. Those wishing to make a cash donation can also deliver their contributions at any Seacoast location. Checks should be made payable to “Bill Brooks’ Food for Families”.
“The current economy is affecting people in Indian River County more than ever before,” explained Dennis Hudson, Chairman and CEO of Seacoast National Bank. “Likewise, Harvest Food & Outreach Center’s demand for emergency food has grown over 200 percent in the past couple of years. It is our hope that anyone who can help in this effort will take a few moments to remember those less fortunate with a donation.”
Founded by Austin and Ginny Hunt in 2003, Harvest Food & Outreach Center’s mission is to help those in need to transform their lives by providing food, crisis care, opportunities for education and employment, and a hand up to families, individuals and children who are fighting to break the cycle of poverty. Thousands of families have received help at the south Vero Beach campus and received emergency food in times of crisis or taken part in the organization’s long-term food subsidy program, which gives them access to high quality foods available on a regular basis at a fraction of the regular price.
The organization recently opened the Harvest Thrift Store, which helps to fund programs and services, and is expected to open a Hunger Relief Center that will distribute as much as 180,000 pounds of food each month to people in need. The new center, slated to open in early 2011, will include a self-sustaining 5,000 sq. ft. Cost Share Grocery Center and 1,500 sq. ft. Emergency Food Box Pantry.
