This summer, as students lose access to meals at school, 40,000 children in Sarasota and DeSoto counties may be at risk for hunger. All Faiths Food Bank’s Campaign Against Summer Hunger was created nine years ago to fill the “hunger gap” for children who lose access to meals and food pantries at school as well as to raise awareness of the issue of child hunger in our area. All Faiths Food Bank is, again this year, organizing more than 200 partners with the shared mission of providing food to children over the summer months. The Campaign includes a quiet fundraising period to raise matching funds as well as a community campaign, and then the use of those funds to build necessary infrastructure, solidify partnerships, and secure and distribute food. Organizers expect this summer to be particularly challenging as the pandemic, continuing supply chain impacts, rising labor costs, and soaring inflation hit the most at-risk in our community hard – especially children. Since its inception nine years ago, the Campaign has raised tremendous awareness of the issue of child hunger in our community as well as the gratifying total of more than $14 million. This year’s lead investors are the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, Gulf Coast Community Foundation and The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee. Chairing the effort this year is All Faiths Food Bank’s immediate past board chair, Nelle Miller.

“For the past nine years, it has been our honor – and we feel it is our responsibility – to make sure kids have enough to eat over the summer months,” said All Faiths CEO Sandra Frank. “We are so grateful to our lead investors as well as every community member who contributed to the Campaign for their invaluable support in these turbulent, challenging times. Thanks to their generosity, tens of thousands of area children will have access to food, in convenient locations, throughout the summer.”

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