Harry Chapin Food Bank opens mobile distribution centers to support Hurricane Milton recovery

10/11/2024

Harry Chapin Food Bank, Southwest Florida’s leading hunger relief organization and only Feeding America partner in the region, will hold emergency food distributions on Saturday, Oct. 12 to support Hurricane Milton recovery efforts.

The distribution centers will be open from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday at the following locations:

  • Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal Church, 151 NE Pine Island Road in Cape Coral
  • Word of Life Church, 6111 South Pointe Blvd. in Fort Myers.

“Hurricane Milton had a devastating impact on Southwest Florida, displacing families and upending lives,” said Richard LeBer, the president and CEO of Harry Chapin Food Bank. “We are committed to ensuring our neighbors throughout the five-county region have access to healthy food, clean water and essential supplies our community begins the recovery process.”

Hurricane Milton made landfall Wednesday near Siesta Key as a Category 3 hurricane. Communities across Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties were significantly impacted by Milton’s destructive winds and storm surge.

Harry Chapin Food Bank sustained no damage to its Fort Myers warehouse and is fully operational. The food bank will return to normal operations on Friday, Oct. 11.

“I am proud of the Harry Chapin Food Bank team, which quickly mobilized as soon as it was safe to do so,” said LeBer. “We’re hopeful that by deploying all available resources we can ease some of our neighbors worries as we recover from this storm together.”

Harry Chapin Food Bank’s Fulfill Mobile Pantry program directly serves community members in communities, where an individual’s financial resources or access to transportation may make it difficult to access food through traditional grocery stores. Through mobile pantries, Harry Chapin Food Bank distributes a variety of fresh produce, canned and dry goods, frozen meat, bread, grains and other food items.

In 2023, the food bank’s mobile pantry program provided more than 8.4 million pounds of food to underserved communities, directly supporting local families, children, and seniors facing hunger.

For more information about Harry Chapin Food Bank or to support recovery efforts, visit harrychapinfoodbank.org.