Adopt-A-Family Available Through Nov. 23; Thanksgiving Food Frenzy Available Through Nov. 6

During this Thanksgiving season, over 1 million households throughout Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties are experiencing food insecurity. Feeding South Florida®, the leading domestic hunger-relief organization serving South Florida, is offering two different ways that the public can help those in need during this special holiday: Adopt-A Family and the Thanksgiving Food Frenzy.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Feeding South Florida needs the community’s assistance more than ever before to help provide families with Thanksgiving meals. In the communities that Feeding South Florida serves(Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties), the need for food assistance has more than doubled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Thanksgiving is one of the hardest times of the year for families who struggle to make ends meet,” said Paco Vélez, president and CEO of Feeding South Florida. “The COVID-19 pandemic has produced an economic crisis unlike anything since the Great Depression. One in five adults and one in four children are currently facing food insecurity.”

“Due to the pandemic, this year, there are food supply chain issues which have caused the cost of protein to rise and ingredients for side dishes to be in short supply. Through our Adopt-A-Family and Thanksgiving Food Frenzy initiatives, the public can come together to help make this Thanksgiving memorable for families experiencing hardship,” he continued.

Adopt-A-Family (now through Nov. 23): For only $25, anyone can provide a Thanksgiving meal box to a family of four. The meal box includes one turkey, fresh produce, traditional sides, gravy mix, and dessert mix. To adopt a family, simply visit www.feedingsouthflorida.org/donate-now. To ensure Thanksgiving meal boxes are ready in time, all donations must be placed by Monday, Nov. 23, 2020.

Thanksgiving Food Frenzy (Oct. 26–Nov. 6): This is a friendly competition in which groups host Food + Fund Drives and earn volunteer hours for the chance to win the title of “Ultimate Thanksgiving Hero” in their designated category. All groups are welcome to participate. Awards will be given to the top participants in the categories of School, Construction/Real Estate, Law, Financial Institution, Hospitality/Food + Beverage, Health Care, and Government.

Participants can register at https://www.jotform.com/FeedingSouthFlorida/fsffoodfrenzy, and they will receive Feeding South Florida’s Thanksgiving Food Frenzy toolkit, which provides step-by-step instructions and ideas.

The way to win is to provide the most meals by donating pounds of food and raising funds. Every meal provided = one point. For food, 1.2 pounds = one meal, and for funds, $1 = 9 meals. Ways to participate include:

1) Start a Physical Food Drive by visiting www.jotform.com/FeedingSouthFlorida/FSFfoodfrenzy. Plan a time, place and type of collection vessel(s) for the drive. Get creative and use things like cardboard bins for the food vessel. Set a goal. Drop off collected items Monday–Friday, 2:30–4:30 p.m., at Feeding South Florida, located at 2501 SW 32nd Terrace, Pembroke Park, FL 33023; or Feeding Palm Beach County, located at 4925 Park Ridge Blvd, Boynton Beach, FL 33426.

2) Launch a Virtual Food Drive/FUNd drive by visiting www.firstgiving.com/event/FEEDINGSOUTHFLORIDA/FSFfoodfrenzy. Create a customizable fundraising page, set a meal goal and spread the word.

3) Volunteer for bonus points at Feeding South Florida or Feeding Palm Beach County, on Tuesdays–Saturdays, from 8:30–11:30 a.m. or 1:30–4:30 p.m. (total pounds sorted is converted into meals ? and points). Register at volunteer.feedingsouthflorida.org.

4) Promote participation/mention Feeding South Florida on social media for bonus points (each post is worth one point.)

Food drives will accept non-perishable items only. Items in glass jars or expired items will not be accepted. It is requested that items that are already in packed cases, cartons or boxes are not opened. Items needed for the Thanksgiving food drive are gravy mix, canned vegetables, cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, mashed potato mix, pie crust & mix, and cornbread mix. 

The most-needed general food drive items are peanut butter, cereal, mac & cheese, pasta, rice & beans, canned soups, canned meats, canned fruits & vegetables, canned meals, pop top food items, granola bars, fruit cups, applesauce, and diapers.

Donations must be received by 5 p.m. on Nov. 6, 2020 at either Feeding South Florida or Feeding Palm Beach County to be counted toward the competition. If a group delivers all food and monetary donations to Feeding South Florida or Feeding Palm Beach County directly, the group will receive a 10% bonus of the total meals donated by the group.

All groups compete within their industry, and groups with multiple offices or locations will compete as a single entity. The total number of meals collected, including all bonus points, will be added and divided by the number of employees in the group. This does not apply to schools.

Feeding South Florida can only pick up food drives of 1,000 pounds or more.

About Feeding South Florida®

Feeding South Florida is a member of the Feeding America network of food banks and the leading domestic hunger-relief organization serving Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties. Providing support for 25 percent of the state’s food insecure population, its mission is to end hunger in South Florida by providing immediate access to nutritious food, leading hunger and poverty advocacy efforts, and transforming lives through innovative programming and education. Feeding South Florida distributed over 119 million pounds (99 million meals) of food last year, to over 1 million individuals through direct-service programs and a local network of approximately 300 nonprofit partner agencies. Visit www.feedingsouthflorida.org or call 954.518.1818.