Okaloosa County BOCC — January 17, 2017 — Okaloosa Co FL — reading text

 our core mission Working through member organizations & special programs, we provide nutritious food to meet the challenge of feeding people who are hungry as a result of personal crisis or disaster. We work to educate the public regarding domestic hunger, proper nutrition & related issues. OUR We serve 24 counties in 3 states, covering 22,000 square miles along south Alabama, SERVICE AREA south Mississippi, & the Florida Panhandle. ALABAMA Mississippi FLORIDA Feeding the Gulf Coast is a member affiliate of Feeding America. Feeding America is the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. Its mission is to feed America’s hungry through a nationwide network of 200 member food banks which engage our country in the fight to end hunger throughout every county in the US. Where our food bank’s 24 county service area ends, another food bank picks up the service. OKALOOSA COUNTY SERVICE AREA PERCENT OF POPULATION IN POVERTY* OKALOOSA CO 11.3% Nonprofit Partners Crestview 19.1% School Partners Retail Store Partners Destin 7.5% Food Deserts Fort Walton 17.5% An area in which it is difficult to buy Beach affordable or good quality fresh food. Niceville 14% Valparaiso 12.1% Through our nonprofit FOOD INSECURITY partners, we directly served RATE** 20,289 unduplicated INDIVIDUAL 15.6% households in Okaloosa County in 2016. CHILD 25.2% *Census.gov, 2010 **map.feedingamerica.org HOW WE WORK Getting food to those in need is our mission. Donated/Purchased Stored Distributed Given Food is donated and At the food bank, food Food is distributed to Our partner agencies purchased for the food is inspected for safety, our network of partner provide this food to bank from various national sorted, and stored until agencies, which include people in need in their donors, the USDA, local it is distributed to our church pantries, soup community. retail partners, farmers, and network of over 400 kitchens, and other community food drives. partner agencies. charitable organizations. WHERE OUR FOOD COMES FROM Annual Food Sources United States Department of Agriculture, USDA Purchased Feeding America Retail Store Level Pickup Local Food Drives, Donations, and other Food Banks OKALOOSA COUNTY FOOD DISTRIBUTION • Nonprofit Partners: 22 • Meals Distributed: 2,084,761 • Over 90% is delivered to pantry agencies at a $10 cost. • Example Agencies: - Destin Harvest - First Church of God in Christ - Holt Community Pantry - Niceville Catholic Outreach - Project Hope Recovery Center RETAIL STORE LEVEL PICKUP PROGRAM • This program partners the food Okaloosa County, FL 2015 Statistics bank with retail grocery chains. • Total Stores: 20 When stores have shelf stable product that is nearing its • Total Pounds: 1,784,374 expiration date, they pull it from the shelves and instead of disposing it, they donate it to Feeding the Gulf Coast. • Food received through our Retail Store Level Pickup Program gives the food bank access to fresh foods such as produce, dairy, meat, and bread. • In some cases, the food bank’s approved partner agencies have the ability to pickup food directly from their local store. CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS Backpack Program • Meets the needs of chronically hungry children by providing them with nutritious and easy to prepare food to take home on weekends and school vacations when other resources are not available. • Children are selected by school teachers and counselors, and are identified as having little to no food at home. • Relies on funding from grants and private donations. Summer Food Service Program • Provides meals and snacks to children during the summer months when school is out. • Funded by the USDA. • Free for agencies that meet the requirements to participate in. Afterschool Snack Program • Provides free meals and snacks to children enrolled in afterschool enrichment programs in low income areas. • Funded through USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). • Free for agencies that meet the requirements for participation. CHILD NUTRITION OKALOOSA CO. STATISTICS Summer Food Service Program 2015 • Participating Sites: 2 • Children Served: 100 • Snacks/Meals Served: 463 Backpack Program 2015 • Participating Sites: 7 • Children Served: 170 • Snacks/Meals Served: 6,120 DISASTER RELIEF PROGRAM • Anytime disaster strikes in our area, truckloads of food and supplies are sent from Feeding America and other corporations to the food bank. • Our warehouse is prepared for emergencies with a generator, an industrial-sized kitchen, shower stations and emergency supplies such as food and water. • The food bank then gets those supplies to the affected communities as quickly as possible. We also coordinate disaster efforts with the American Red Cross to ensure the most efficient and timely relief possible. IMPROVING SERVICES TO OKALOOSA COUNTY, FL Identify ways to distribute more food by: • Identifying new partner agencies • Identifying other potential community partners • Identifying funding opportunities QUESTIONS ?