INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Paws Against Poverty is an ideal way to kick off the kids’ holiday break by spending time with some of nature’s curious creatures, while also helping children in need.
Harvest Food & Outreach Center will host “Paws Against Poverty” on its Vero Beach campus, located at 2746 US Highway 1 (a half-mile south of Aviation Blvd.) on Saturday, Dec. 19, from 4 to 6 p.m. Families are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy in lieu of admission. Santa and his sleigh will also be available for photos.
Children of all ages will have an opportunity to engage in hands-on experiences with a variety of wildlife brought to the center from Extreme Animals of Florida including a baby kangaroo, lemur, kinkajou, large tortuous, chinchilla, parrot and a variety of reptiles, snakes and rabbits. All of the animals will be available for petting by children and adults.
At dusk, Harvest staff and friends will pause to participate in a brief candlelight vigil for a moment of thanksgiving and to reflect on the 26,127 families, 44 percent of the community, who are either living in poverty or working and not earning enough to make ends meet.
Harvest Food & Outreach Center is a nonprofit 501c3 organization that was founded in 2003 by Austin and Ginny Hunt in Indian River County. It provides a holistic, multi-component approach that provides a hand up to those living under the 200 percent federal poverty level.
Harvest’s unique model focuses on resource development, resource protection, and resource connection. Services include: Education and Employment Opportunity Programs that provides long term solutions for those in need toward self sufficiency; Food Assistance that includes Harvest’s Food Pantry and Cost Share Grocery Program; and a Crisis Center that stabilizes people in crisis through counseling and active referrals to services in the community.
For information about campus tours, donations or volunteering visit IRC.harvestfoodoutreach.org or call (772) 770-0740.
