JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Winn-Dixie recently donated a semi-trailer full of food to Second Harvest of North Florida.
Second Harvest serves food to 450 local nonprofit organizations in 17 north Florida counties.
Winn-Dixie, which is Jacksonville-based, donated a 50-foot refrigerated semi-trailer after learning the food bank's trailer was no longer able to be driven and had instead become a place for the food bank to store perishable foods.
The trailer was loaded with 13,000 pounds of food to help restock the food bank's warehouse.
Randy Rambo, Winn-Dixie regional vice president said, "Winn-Dixie is in the food business. So it's only natural that we're eager to partner with Second Harvest to address what, to many, is an invisible problem. When we learned about Second Harvest's need, we knew what had to be done in the short- and long-term."
The food donated is to be used by Second Harvest for their Mobile Pantry and the BackPack program.
"This is a real godsend," said Bruce Ganger, Executive Director of Second Harvest North Florida. "We are the link between surplus food and local nonprofits serving people in need. We have seen demand nearly quadruple in the past four years and we can't serve the need without a trailer like this."
According to a release from Winn-Dixie, in 2008 Second Harvest distributed 7.6 million pounds. In 2009 the amount of distributed food increased to 11 million pounds. In 2010 the trend continued with 19.3 million pounds of food distributed. In 2011 the organization gave away 20.1 million pounds of food. For 2012, Granger estimates the nonprofit will give out 24 million pounds of food.
Granger said he is hopeful other companies and individuals will see the donation and be spurred to action. A donation of $1 can provide seven meals to people in need.
First Coast News