Second Harvest of the Big Bend received a donation of nearly $1 million on Monday. That will greatly speed up the food bank’s timetable for fighting hunger.
Second Harvest CEO Monique Ellsworth says the gift will help the food bank build and operate a special kitchen. They’ll be able to cook food, seal it, flash-freeze it and then distribute pre-made, highly nutritious meals.
“On top of that, all that will come out with labels on it that educates families on why we eat zucchini or squash, what is the health benefit of peppers," she said, "and a QR code, so that our newly-formed nutrition team can add information to our website so that families are brought immediately to recipes to take the guesswork out of how to use the fresh produce that we’re giving to families.”
The donation came from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Ellsworth says the Latter-day Saints have been helping Second Harvest for years. When the Covid-19 pandemic infiltrated every Gadsden County kitchen that was feeding children, she says, it was the church that provided the food to fill the gap.
Church leaders came to the Second Harvest warehouse to present the check and receive a tour of the facility.
