TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — As SNAP funding stalled on Nov. 1, Second Harvest, ABC 27 and volunteers in Tallahassee rallied to feed hundreds of families in need.
- 33,000 Leon County residents rely on SNAP benefits which are now on pause due to the federal shutdown.
- 1,500 families received food boxes, fresh produce, protein, and eggs during Saturday’s drive.
- Second Harvest plans to double pantry distribution to meet the growing community need.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
November 1 marks the beginning of the season of giving, but it also marked the end of SNAP funding.
Second Harvest and dozens of volunteers gathered at Governor's Square Mall to feed hundreds of families.
"Like I said, this is exciting. I have never had this type of experience with a handout. Usually, it is 'Hey we ran out, sorry.' So, this was really good," food drive recipient Tara Crawford said.
Car after car, a clear sign of the growing need across Leon County.
Second Harvest, along with ABC 27 and United Way of the Big Bend, launched their largest emergency food drive yet, working to support families who rely on SNAP benefits now delayed as of November 1 because of the federal shutdown.
“In Leon County alone, about 33,000 of our neighbors benefit from SNAP benefits,” Monique Ellsworth, Second Harvest of the Big Bend CEO, said.
Hundreds of those neighbors lined up early this morning. They were greeted by volunteers who filled up each car with boxes of food. Saturday, Second Harvest gave out enough food to feed 1,500 families.
"They filled my trunk up they even gave me eggs. So, it’s exciting to see,” Crawford said.
We've shown you how Second Harvest, food banks, churches, and community groups across our area have been working around the clock to keep families fed. Many of those families are now forced to choose between paying bills or buying groceries.
“We don’t receive SNAP benefits, and I’m on a fixed income, so this is a lot of help. All of my money right now is going to bills, bills are outrageous so, let alone food. We’re struggling without having SNAP benefits, so this is amazing," Crawford said.
Second Harvest says they’ll continue hosting drives like this for as long as the need remains.
The organization is also ramping up efforts to supply its network of partner pantries across the Big Bend.
“What we're doing is we’re pushing a lot more food out to our network of partner agencies, so that those pantries have more food. And many of our partners have already called us saying that they want to double the number of families they can serve,” Ellsworth said.
This is a reminder that even during tough times the community shows up.
As families leave, they’re not only leaving with food for their tables, but with a deep sense of gratitude.
"The neighborhoods that are doing stuff like this, just know that people are grateful for stuff like this, and the people that get it are blessed," food drive recipient Cindy Hobbs said.
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