DESOTO/HARDEE COUNTIES – All Faiths Food Bank is pleased to recognize the long-term support of one of its partners, The Mosaic Company, to help residents in need in DeSoto and Hardee counties.
Since 2017, Mosaic has contributed a total of $255,000 in support of the Food Bank’s Backpack program in Hardee County. The Backpack program provides students with food they can take home on Fridays to ensure they have enough to eat over the weekend as well as during breaks when schools are out, a particularly challenging time for parents to put enough food on the table. All Faiths delivers backpacks directly to participating elementary schools on a monthly basis throughout the school year.
In 2022, Mosaic donated $50,000 to provide backpacks containing the equivalent of five meals to 350 Hardee County children during the 2022-23 school year.
In DeSoto County, Mosaic’s support began in 2012 for mobile pantries and soon expanded to include support for the Backpack program for children enrolled in DeSoto County schools. Over the course of the past decade, Mosaic has contributed more than $730,000 to All Faiths in support of ending hunger in DeSoto County through the Mobile Pantry program, backpacks for students, and assistance in purchasing a truck dedicated for use in DeSoto County.
As a result of Mosaic’s support over the past decade, All Faiths Food Bank has been able to reduce hunger in DeSoto County by distributing 851,832 pounds of food at mobile distributions and providing 43,620 backpacks to ensure children have nutritious meals over the weekend.
All Faiths is also a recipient of Mosaic’s annual Goals for Food campaign, a partnership with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“At Mosaic our mission is to help the world grow the food it needs. We realize, however, that some members of our community have challenges accessing enough food for themselves and their children,” said Heather Nedley, Director, Government and Public Affairs, Mosaic. “We are proud of our partnership with All Faiths Food Bank, which helps to alleviate childhood hunger in Hardee County and reduce food insecurity in DeSoto County.”
“We are incredibly grateful for The Mosaic Company’s support and commitment to ending hunger, which is laying the foundation for longer, healthier and better lives in in DeSoto and Hardee counties,” added Sandra Frank, CEO of All Faiths Food Bank.
For more about All Faiths Food Bank, visit allfaithsfoodbank.org.
About All Faiths Food Bank
All Faiths Food Bank is the only food bank and largest hunger relief organization in Sarasota and DeSoto counties, providing millions of meals each year with nearly 200 agencies and programs throughout the community. All Faiths works not only to fight hunger today but also strives to end hunger – forever – by helping families and individuals gain long-term food security, enjoy better health outcomes, and achieve self-sufficiency. In 2021, All Faiths distributed 19 million pounds of food – equating to 17 million meals, provided 36% more meals than 2019 (pre-pandemic), and remained steadfast in its commitment to provide nutritional assistance to community members, including 44% who were new to the food bank. For its efforts, All Faiths was honored as the 2021 “Nonprofit of the Year” by the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce; the organization was also recognized as a Top 4 Food Bank in the country in 2020. All Faiths is rated 4 stars by Charity Navigator and is a member of the Feeding America and Feeding Florida networks. For more information, visit allfaithsfoodbank.org.