In a Fort Myers industrial park, north of Luckett Road and east of Interstate 75, a line to pick up food for the masses included pickup trucks, U-Haul vans, trucks and trailers.
They and their drivers waited to be loaded before hauling away boxes — and in some cases pallets — of food, enough to feed as few as 30 families or as many as 1,000.
Karl Steidering arrived as executive director of Midwest Food Bank in Fort Myers in July 2017, just in time to experience Hurricane Irma in September 2017. Now, he's experiencing something unprecedented.
“Financially, we need dollars coming in,” he said. “I’m not going to make it at this pace through the end of the year with the dollars I have now. Generosity of donors is going to make all the difference. I can get the food, as long as I’ve got the dollars to go and get it.”
Salvation Army, Community Cooperative, St. Matthew's House and McGregor Baptist Church are just some of the dozens of partner agencies that work with Midwest Food Bank, which has boxes and boxes of food in its warehouse that come in and out, sometimes on the same day.
Harry Chapin Food Bank, like Midwest Food Bank, is also ramping up fundraising to keep up with expenses. It relies largely on private donations. It is on pace for a $1 million a month increase to its operating budget to fund the 6,000 food kits being created weekly to meet the increased demand.
Giving can be contagious; at a Harry Chapin LaBelle food distribution event Wednesday, someone handed a food bank employee a $200 cash donation.
“We’re turning more food through this warehouse than ever before," said Steidering, one of four Midwest Food Bank employees in Fort Myers who managed 1,000 volunteers through 23,000 hours of manpower in 2019, with a $700,000 budget.
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"Covid has blown my budget to smithereens," Steidering said. "Dollars are clearly, far and away, the best way to support us."
Midwest Food Bank sometimes can turn $1 into $30 worth of food.
"We get everything donated," Steidering said of the food. "My costs are fuel, maintenance on trucks. I’m going to throw out an example. We’ll get a load of food from Georgia in canned corn. I pay for the fuel and the truck. Let’s say I’ve got $2,500 invested. I’m getting in return $60,000 to $75,000 worth of food. I can stretch the dollar by 30 times or more."
How to get help
Harry Chapin Food Bank, ongoing, 12 times a week throughout Southwest Florida
For a calendar of drive-thru distributions, go to harrychapinfoodbank.org and click on the coronavirus update. Food includes fresh produce and a pre-packaged kit of shelf-stable food to feed a family of four for five days.
The Nations Association, May 23 and May 30.
On Saturday, from 9 a.m. until food runs out, the Nations Association is hosting a large drive-thru food giveaway, the Fort Myers Convoy of Hope distribution, at Iglesia Rosa de Saron, 13235 Palm Beach Blvd. in Fort Myers.
About 18,000 pounds of canned goods, beans and rice are expected to arrive in two large semi-trucks. A second distribution is set for May 30 at the same time and location.
Community food pantries
Harry Chapin’s database lists pantry hours and locations of partner agencies that distribute food.
How to help
Harry Chapin Food Bank: Accepts donations at harrychapinfoodbank.org, where you can also sign up to volunteer by clicking on “Take Action.”
The Fort Myers distribution center address is 3760 Fowler St., Fort Myers 33901.
The food bank is discouraging holding food drives for now to minimize contact and some people have fears about possible contamination even if food is nonperishable and packaged.
Midwest Food Bank:
Midwestfoodbank.org/donate
Check donations: Midwest Food Bank, 5601 Division Drive, Fort Myers, Florida, 33905
Community Cooperative:
CommunityCooperative.com/donate
Check donations: Community Cooperative, PO Box 2143, Fort Myers, FL 33902
Food drop off: 3429 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33916
St. Matthew's House:
stmatthewshouse.org/give
Check: St. Matthew's House, 2001 Airport Road S., Naples, FL 34112
Staff Writer Janine Zeitlin contributed to this report.
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