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House of Hope serving up
'Meal or No Meal'

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PRESS RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

The sixth annual “Meal or No Meal” Community Awareness Dinner will be held Nov. 4 to raise funds for House of Hope and raise awareness about serving the basic needs of thousands of people living in poverty in Martin County.

The event will be held 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, 2011, at St. Mary’s Pittenger Center, 701 E. Ocean Blvd., Stuart. Tickets for the event are $100 per person, and sponsorship opportunities are available. Please contact House of Hope at (772) 286-4673 or visit www.hohmartin.org.

The new chairwoman of the event is Meg Rogers, and the presenting sponsors are John and Donna Haas.

Among the evening’s highlights:

• The event is unique because dinner is prepared and served by the volunteers from area churches that operate community kitchens throughout Martin County. These include St. Joseph Catholic, St. Mary’s Episcopal, Redeemer Lutheran, Hobe Sound Community Presbyterian, and First Baptist of Jensen Beach. More faith-based partners may be added this year.

• A special fund-raiser connected to this event is a drawing for a $2,000 travel voucher. For a $20 donation, entrants get a chance to win a trip of their choice, booked through Jensen Beach Travel Service.

• The event also includes a silent auction, and the St. Joseph School Jazz Band will entertain guests as they arrive. Further entertainment is to be determined.

• House of Hope will present the experiences of people who have received a helping hand from the agency, in the form of food, financial assistance or guidance through the case management program.

The event’s name – “Meal or No Meal” -- is inspired by the serious decisions far too many families face every day, such as: Will I be able to pay the electricity bill or the rent? Buy groceries or medicine? Will my family have a meal on the table, or no meal?

ABOUT POVERTY IN MARTIN COUNTY

Below are the most recent poverty statistics available for Martin County (2009, from the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation and the U.S. Census Bureau):

• More than 41 percent of all jobs in Martin County pay $25,000 a year or less.

• 20 percent of all households earn less than $25,000 a year.

• 14.6 percent of Martin County residents – about 20,410 people – lived at or below the federal poverty guidelines. Poverty levels are defined as $10,830 for one person; $22,050 for a family of four. (By comparison, in 2007, 8.2 percent of Martin County residents – about 11,400 people -- lived below the poverty level.)

• 59 percent of single mothers, 29 percent of children, and 5 percent of senior citizens over age 65 lived in poverty.

ABOUT HOUSE OF HOPE

Founded in 1984, House of Hope provides a safety net for people who are facing a crisis and seek help with the basic necessities of life. House of Hope operates Martin County’s largest food pantry – serving the equivalent of about 237,000 meals last year – and also provides assistance with clothing, household items, financial assistance and long-term case management to help people achieve greater stability in their lives.

House of Hope services are available through the agency’s four locations – Stuart, Hobe Sound, Indiantown and Jensen Beach.

For more information about House of Hope, call (772) 286-4673, or visit www.hohmartin.org.