Palm Beach County Food Bank to Receive 50 Tons of Food From Four Local Families
Donations Enable Food Bank to Help More Local Families Struggling Due to COVID-19
Four Families also Providing Meals to Employees of Good Samaritan Medical Center and St. Mary's Medical Center
LANTANA, Fla., May 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to help hungry Palm Beach County residents put food on their tables, the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Foundation, together with the Nelson and Claudia Peltz Family Foundation, Matt Peltz and Hallie Dunn, and the Leni and Peter May Foundation, are donating pallets of food weekly to the Palm Beach County Food Bank. The truck deliveries, estimated to total more than 50 tons of food, will continue until state and local economies start to stabilize, at least through May.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Palm Beach County Food Bank provided access to nutritious food for more than 100,000 hungry Palm Beach County residents every month. In recent weeks, that demand has already doubled as more people are left without jobs and income. Typically, the Food Bank procures more than 5 million pounds of food annually from grocery stores, restaurants, food distributors, wholesalers and other sources, and provides it to almost 200 local community partners and programs, including food pantries, soup kitchens and residential housing programs. In the wake of COVID-19, food donations have become scarce and almost a third of its partner agencies have had to close their doors.
"As the number of hungry residents continues to grow at an alarming rate, we are in need of donations, now more than ever," said Karen Erren, executive director for the Palm Beach County Food Bank. "We have been doubling our distribution from 100,000 pounds to 200,000 pounds per week. Because of the wonderful generosity of these Palm Beach County families who strongly believe in supporting the local community, the Food Bank is able to reach more of our neighbors throughout the county who are struggling to feed themselves and their families."
The family's weekly donations are being made in cooperation from Sysco Corporation, a global leader in food distribution, contain perishable and non-perishable foods including rice, canned goods, vegetables, cooking oil, cereal, bread, meat, potatoes, cheese, yogurt, cold cuts, condiments and pasta.
"We already had a significant unmet need," continued Erren. "As COVID-19 continues to keep individuals at home and businesses closed, the need is only getting worse. We are facing unprecedented challenges and we hope this donation from these generous local families will inspire others to also consider support as we continue to help our neighbors in need."
The food donations to the Palm Beach County Food Bank is one of several the families have provided as pro bono support in the wake of COVID-19. They have also been providing meals to both Good Samaritan and St. Mary's hospitals since the beginning of April and will continue to do so throughout the pandemic. The families plan to distribute nearly 19,000 meals to both hospitals over the course of the next two months in cooperation with Wendy's, a leading quick service restaurant chain. Similar efforts are being made by the families at five New York City Hospitals. As with the food donations, the Wendy's meal donation will continue until the current situation stabilizes.
"We would like to thank the Laura and Issac Perlmutter Foundation, the Nelson and Claudia Peltz Family Foundation, Matt Peltz and Hallie Dunn and the Leni and Peter May Foundation for this initiative," said Maggie Gill, Chief Executive Officer – Tenet Palm Beach Health Network. "I know our staff is very appreciative of the support we've received from our community as we continue to provide compassionate care for our patients. The delicious meals from Wendy's that these families are providing help fill both the stomachs and hearts of many healthcare heroes at St. Mary's Medical Center and Good Samaritan Medical Center."
For more information or to make a donation to the Palm Beach County Food Bank, please visit pbcfoodbank.org.
PRESS CONTACT:
Slatkow & Husak Public Relations
Heather Vidulich
[email protected] or 561-414-8163
SOURCE Palm Beach County Food Bank
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