PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Amid the coronavirus outbreak, local organizations are doing what they can to make sure everyone is taken care of, including Feeding South Florida.
About a dozen volunteers were packing boxes full of food Monday morning in Pembroke Park, but they need a lot more help.
Feeding South Florida is supporting Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach County school families who are going to struggle to put food on the table during the coronavirus outbreak.
The shifts to pack family meal boxes, complete with peanut butter and jelly, rice, beans, oatmeal, and more, are being held at 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Organizers say they’ve had a fraction of volunteers who sign up to help pack boxes actually show up.
They say they understand why people are understandably concerned, but say they desperately need that assistance.
“A lot of folks are going without jobs, a lot are going without food and paychecks -- it’s just expanding even more to the hospitality industry, the travel industry, a lot of the restaurants and food services industries, so there’s a lot of demand and food that we have here and, just like the grocery stores, we’re starting to get depleted and the work force, aka our volunteers -- we’re starting to lose a lot of those as well,” Feeding South Florida President and CEO Paco Velez said. If you want to volunteer, you can reach out to Feeding South Florida.
For those who can’t support in person, Feeding South Florida has just announced the Feeding South Florida COVID-19 Response Fund with up to $250,000 in matched dollars thanks to Ultimate Software and other friends.
Now through March 31, every dollar donated will be matched up to $250,000. To donate, visit https://feedingsouthflorida.org/donate-now/.