Southwest Florida Community Foundation awarded $86,000 to United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades as fiscal sponsor of the Hunger Task Force of Southwest Florida through the community foundation’s annual Initiative Grant. The grant will be used to support the Hunger Task Force’s H.E.L.P. Initiative (Hunger Eradicated by Local Partnerships).

The Initiative Grant required that grant seekers collaborate with other community partners. According to the Hunger Task Force grant proposal, the H.E.L.P. initiative includes the following collaborative efforts:

-The Salvation Army will develop a client-choice food pantry called Sally’s Marketplace.

-Harry Chapin Food Bank will implement a gleaning program for gathering produce from Southwest Florida farms to increase the supply of fresh produce and citrus at local food pantries.

-CCMI will undertake the creation of a sustainable customer-choice centered model for long-term hunger elimination that includes neighborhood storefront cafs and pantry marketplaces, mobile food pantries, and mobile case management and food stamp access.

-Kids Against Hunger will provide rice packets to food pantries for distribution during the summer months.

-Sown Together will create and maintain urban gardening projects.

The theme for this year’s Initiative Grant was “Working Together for Hunger Relief.” Anne Douglas, SWFLCF Director of Programs, explained, “The Community Foundation’s Trustees decided in November to select hunger as the focus issue of the Initiative, recognizing that hunger is a critical community issue.” Douglas further noted that with the economic recession, increased foreclosures, and rising unemployment in Southwest Florida, hunger relief agencies have been seeing a dramatic increase in the number of clients they are serving, including middle-income clients who used to be donors. To make matters worse, at the same time that there is increased demand for services, many agencies are also seeing a decrease in monetary and food donations.

The Southwest Florida Community Foundation’s annual Initiative Grant focus area is determined in November. Grant proposals are accepted beginning in January through early to mid-March and awards are announced in June. The Initiative Grant is the Community Foundation’s largest annual grant. Interested organizations are encouraged to visit the SWFLCF website at www.floridacommunity.com or call 239-274-5900 for detailed grant information.

The Southwest Florida Community Foundation has been supporting the communities of Lee, Charlotte, Collier, Glades and Hendry counties through endowed funds for over 33 years. With over 320 endowed funds, the Community Foundation has provided more than $39.5 million in grants and scholarships to the communities it serves. For more information, please call 239-274-5900, or visit their web site at www.floridacommunity.com.