Press releases

House of Hope mobilizes food pantry

PRESS RELEASE DATE: DECEMBER 20, 2011

House of Hope recently took another step toward further expanding its reach and its partnerships to serve Martin County residents in need.

On Dec. 3, the agency spearheaded its first mobile pantry operation, in conjunction with the Treasure Coast Food Bank and Gertrude Walden Child Care Center.

The mobile pantry served 90 families, representing 174 individuals, with 8,554 pounds of food, including fresh meat and produce, canned goods and beverages.

The operation depends on a lot of partners: Treasure Coast Food Bank owns the mobile pantry truck, and for a $500 fee, fills it with food and provides a driver and assistant to take it to a designated site. In this case, the $500 fee was covered by House of Hope supporters John & Donna Haas, who are sponsoring many aspects of House of Hope’s growing food pantry operation.

“The mobile pantry is an outstanding example of how powerful partnering to fight hunger can be,” said Elizabeth Barbella, chief executive officer of House of Hope. “In a matter of hours, nearly 200 of our neighbors in need can be provided fresh and nutritious food.”

House of Hope selected Gertrude Walden Child Care Center as the site for the mobile pantry because of the center’s East Stuart location as well as its strong staff and volunteer corps. People coming to the mobile pantry were pre-qualified by the child care center staff and were issued vouchers to receive food on Dec. 3.

House of Hope operates food pantries in Stuart, Hobe Sound, Indiantown and Jensen Beach, along with thrift stores and other services. Conducting more mobile food pantry efforts in the future is one part of the agency’s goal to fill a meal gap of more than 1 million meals a year among the people who live in poverty in Martin County.

House of Hope is a nonprofit agency that provides food, clothing, household necessities, case management and financial assistance to Martin County people in need. The agency is Martin County’s largest provider of food to the hungry, and serves as a safety net for hundreds of families, working people and senior citizens who are struggling through hard times.

Please call (772) 286-4673 or www.hohmartin.org for more information about House of Hope.