The window leading to Thanksgiving and Christmas and Hanukkah is bittersweet for community journalists. Press releases and guest commentary submissions succinctly sum up the holiday’s season’s co-joined sides: A reflection of giving and generosity. And a mirror of heartbreaking need. On Wednesday, a release from the Harry Chapin Food Bank captured both in a single snapshot of Southwest Florida. The nonprofit announced the largest project in its 42-year history: A $30 million capital campaign to better fill the most fundamental of needs Food on the table for those who, in our land of sunshine and plenty, too often go without. The intent of the effort? . to relieve Southwest Florida’s deepening hunger crisis by building a Hunger Action Center, a massive warehouse and distribution facility that will safeguard the community against hunger for generations to come.” Food bank officials put a face on both our community’s need and our community’s generosity. The giving: “Currently, Harry Chapin Food Bank serves approximately 300, 000 neighbors annually through a robust Feeding Network of up to 175 agency partners. In 2024, the Food Bank provided 39. 5 million pounds of food, but that figure is expected to jump to 50 million pounds by 2030 and 100 million pounds by 2050,” the release states. The need: Richard LeBer, Harry Chapin president and CEO, is quoted as saying the surge in demand is being fueled by what he calls the “new hungry” “individuals who are working and never anticipated needing help to put food on the table.” “They are hospitality and tourism workers, health care professionals, first responders and educators essentially, the people who keep our community running,” Mr. LeBer said. “Hurricanes, the pandemic, inflation, cuts to federal government programs and other setbacks have affected them deeply. Many are just one or two unanticipated bills away from needing help.” In other words, they are us. Not only neighbors. But family members. Co-workers. Retirees. The nice cashier ringing up our holiday turkey and fixings. The planned Hunger Action Center will be located at the southwest corner of I-75 and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. It will “more than double the size of the nonprofit’s current warehouse in Lee County while doubling the organization’s capacity to feed neighbors experiencing hunger,” complementing the organization’s existing distribution center in Naples. In addition to more storage for dry, refrigerated and frozen foods, the new center will offer a “food pantry where neighbors experiencing hunger can shop for fresh produce and groceries.” The facility will include community meeting rooms that “will allow Harry Chapin Food Bank and its agency partners to host seminars and classes covering nutrition, health, how to access food, budgeting for groceries and other educational topics, empowering neighbors and agency partners to address the root causes of hunger.” The project broke ground this summer and construction is expected to continue through the fall of 2026. Financially, the capital effort is about halfway to its $30 million goal, a remarkable undertaking to date. Many of us most of us, we would wager make donations through the holidays. Canned and dried goods to food banks like Harry Chapin for holiday dinners and school’s out breakfasts and lunches. Toys for children and angel tree items for seniors or veterans in need. Charitable contributions to the various local organizations that do so much good year round. Thank you. Giving is the cornerstone upon which a community is built. For more information on Feeding the Future, we invite you to visit HarryChapinFoodBank. org. Breeze editorial.
https://www.capecoralbreeze.com/opinion/editorials/2025/11/20/editorial-feeding-the-future/
