Press releases

Grants help House of Hope
offer fresh food

PRESS RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 17, 2011

House of Hope installed a new backup generator last week, thanks to a grant from the Loblollypop Foundation and work by Neal’s Refrigeration Inc.

The generator is the latest addition to House of Hope’s efforts to improve the food supply to people in need in Martin County.

Last year, grants from the Loblollypop Foundation and Goody Two Shoes Inc. helped to provide a commercial-grade refrigerator/freezer in the Stuart location. This enabled House of Hope to receive fresh and frozen foods and store them safely for distribution to clients.

This year, the Loblollypop Foundation provided another grant, designated for purchasing the backup generator to keep the refrigerator/freezer going in case of emergency. The grant also provided for a new fridge/freezer for House of Hope’s Hobe Sound branch as well as $10,000 toward the purchase of food.

The installations of the refrigerator/freezer and the generator were performed by Neal’s Refrigeration at reduced cost to House of Hope. The owner, Bob Neal, was one of the agency’s founders back in 1984 and has remained a dedicated supporter over the years.

All House of Hope’s programs – providing food, clothing, household items, financial assistance and case management – offer temporary assistance to Martin County families during personal crises beyond their control.

The food program provided the equivalent of about 237,000 meals last year, helping families and children as well as fixed-income senior citizens, veterans, and the recently unemployed. With 29 percent of all children under 18 living in poverty in Martin County, and 20,400 residents overall below the official poverty line, the demand for such services is high.

Plans for the future involve a greater ability to distribute fresh and frozen food, reaching out to underserved neighborhoods through a mobile pantry alliance with Treasure Coast Food Bank, and continuing to reorganize the agency’s food pantries to offer the “Client Choice” means of distribution. All of these plans depend on House of Hope raising funds and seeking sponsorships for food, transportation and operations.

Information about House of Hope is available online at www.hohmartin.org or by calling (772) 286-4673.