Monique Ellsworth

In the 16 counties the food bank serves, over half of the residents are living paycheck-to-paycheck.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been helping Second Harvest for years

The food bank is trying to help the region recover from Hurricane Idalia, even as a major employer shuts down

The needs across the 11 counties of the Big Bend are varied and complex

The new counties have high poverty levels

Volunteers load boxes of food -- supplied by Second Harvest, Farm Share, Publix and others -- into a line of vehicles that come to Victory House every other Saturday