Posted on Wed, Sep. 17, 2008
BY NATALIE P. MCNEAL
nmcneal@MiamiHerald.com
With the ranks of poor people growing in Broward County, a group of
Broward nonprofits and government officials announced Wednesday a
campaign to collect one million pounds of food to help feed the needy.
The agencies launched the ''Field of Food'' campaign at Lockhart Stadium
in Fort Lauderdale. Beginning Oct. 18, the Field of Food campaign will
gather volunteers at the stadium to sort, package and distribute the
collected food.
In addition to the growing demand from the needy, the agencies are
trying to increase food supplies to prepare for this year's holiday season.
''Our hearts go out to Haiti and Cuba because they are hurting from the
hurricane,'' said Mary Macomber, chair of the CCB/CSC Million Meals
Committee, a food collection group.
``But we have our own economic hurricane at home, which is just as
devastating as a natural disaster.''
Residents may donate to sites across Broward and Palm Beach counties,
including the Greater Hollywood YMCA Family Center and Volunteer Broward
in Lauderdale Lakes.
One in six Broward County residents is hungry, said campaign organizers,
who say a number of Broward residents are reluctant to apply for food
stamps.
Workers at local food pantries said they cannot collect and stock enough
food to distribute to the increasing number of needy families.
Consider: Crossroads Foodbank. Over the last six months, the nonprofit
agency has had a 69 percent increase in pantry clients.
''And we will have even more clients in the next six months,'' said
Diane Fiala, executive director of Crossroads Foodbank in Fort Lauderdale.
Volunteer Broward, the CCB/CSC Million Meals Committee and the Broward
County School Board are the main organizers of the campaign.
Also helping with the food drive are students from Broward schools and
Can-Teens, a hunger relief organization founded by 16-year-old James
Flaig of Coral Springs, a student at American Heritage School in Plantation.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/breaking-news/story/690128.html
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