Organizers hope to collect at least 60,000 pounds of food, to make up for the loss caused by the postponement of the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger food drive.
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VENICE — Feed Venice, the ambitious food drive set for Saturday has grown beyond the organizing churches of One Christ Won City to to include a variety of neighborhoods and service organizations seeking to offset the loss of roughly 60,000 pounds of food that would have been collected this month by the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger food drive.
That food drive was postponed because of COVID-19 and One Christ Won City decided to step into feed the children of the Venice area by supplying food to six south Sarasota County food pantries: Community Assistance Ministry, Center of Hope, South County Food Pantry, Salvation Army, Laurel Nokomis Civic Association and the Nazarene Food Pantry.
Individual donors can drop off food from 8 to 10 a.m., Saturday at Venice Christian School, Christian School, 1200 Center Road, Venice.
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Those interested in dropping off food at the school are encouraged to donate peanut butter, macaroni and cheese, soup and cereal — those foods were specifically requested by the member food banks.
It’s meant to be a touch-free food drive, with teams collecting donations from the trunk of a donor’s vehicle.
“Each of the food pantries will have their own depot, so we’ll have six different drop points,” said Jim Foubister, president of One Christ Won City. “There shouldn’t be any waiting.
“Well unload the car for them, it’s strictly a drive-through food drop.”
At that same time members of the participating churches will bring food to their churches.
Representatives from each church will bring pre-sorted donations to Venice Christian School from 10 to 11 a.m.
A total of 23 churches are now officially involved in the effort, which has expanded to include churches based as far north as Tatum Ridge and south to Englewood.
“It’s pretty cool,” Foubister said. “I think the church part is overpowering.”
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In addition to food, the churches have been collecting monetary donations, which will be used to purchase more food for the pantries.
While One Christ Won City — an all volunteer organization that never before solicited donations — stated an online collection at onechristwoncity.com/feed-venice that money too will all be used to buy food.
As of today, the following churches are participating: Christ Venice, The Bridge, Lift, Greater Holy Temple, Fellowship Bible, Venice Bible, South Venice Christian, Harvest Chapel, New Hope Christian, New Life, Nazarene, First Christian, Auburn Road Presbyterian, First Presbyterian, Cornerstone Baptist, New Hope West, First Baptist Nokomis, Church of the Holy Spirit, Holy Orthodox Church, Center Of Hope, CoastLife Church, Fisherman’s Net, and Mercy Fellowship.
Venice Mayor Ron Feinsod, who regularly volunteers at food pantries, also created a video public service announcement promoting the food drive that has been available on the city website and Facebook.
A variety of neighborhoods have banded together to collect food too, including Aston Gardens, the Waterside Village Condominium Association, Lakes of Jacaranda, Plantation, Chestnut Creek, Lake of the Woods, Venetian Falls, Pelican Pointe, Jacaranda West, Sarasota National, Southwood, Pinebrook South and the Venetian Golf and River Club.
Volunteers ranging from participants at Venice beach yoga to Venice High School students receiving hours for their Bright Futures scholarships will be helping out Saturday, though Foubister admitted he’s had to turn away as many as 60 volunteers to make sure social distancing can be maintained during the food drop off.
“The churches are a cornerstone of it but it’s reached out beyond that,” Foubister said. “The whole heart of the community and groups and people just offering help is pretty amazing.”
Even if the goal of 60,000 pounds of food is reached, Foubister said a second food drive may be held later this summer.
“We will revisit this in August, to evaluate the situation,” Foubister said. “I will listen to the food pantries so they can tell me what the timing is and we’ll go from there.”
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Neighborhoods join churches for Feed Venice food drive - Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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