Harry Chapin Food Bank, the largest hunger relief organization in Southwest Florida, is thrilled to recognize the contributions of its volunteers during National Volunteer Week, April 21 through April 27.

In recognition of their contributions, Harry Chapin Food Bank is excited to announce that the food bank’s volunteers have been named Donor of the Month (DOM) for April 2024. This recognition honors donors, organizations, foundations and individuals who go above and beyond in their support of Harry Chapin Food Bank.

“From manning the mobile pantry to packing and sorting products, volunteers serve as the veritable backbone of our organization and provide a critical service that allows Harry Chapin Food Bank to accomplish its mission of a hunger-free community,” said Stuart Haniff, the chief development officer at Harry Chapin Food Bank. “Over the past four decades, our devoted volunteers have joined us on the front lines to combat hunger. Their support has allowed us to grow our organization, expand services and assist even more of our neighbors in need.”

The food bank currently has more than 5,100 active volunteers. In 2023, these dedicated individuals provided nearly 65,000 hours of service to Harry Chapin Food Bank, which equates to more than $2 million of in-kind services.

Celebrated annually during the third week of April, National Volunteer Week is an opportunity to recognize and champion the impact of volunteer service and the power of volunteers. The celebration coincides with Global Volunteer Month.

According to a report by the U.S. Census Bureau and AmeriCorps, more than 2.8 million Floridians volunteered 178 million hours of service in 2020-21, which equates to approximately $4.9 billion toward in-kind services.

Over the past 40 years, volunteers have continued to rise to meet the growing needs of the community. Their commitment allows Harry Chapin Food Bank to purchase more food to be distributed across Southwest Florida, directly supporting the food bank’s mission of ending hunger throughout the region.

In return, volunteers see valuable benefits of their efforts, not only through fostering relationships with each other but by forming strong bonds with their community and developing a renewed sense of purpose.

“As we celebrate volunteerism and our volunteers this April, we encourage individuals, businesses and community groups to please consider volunteering their time at Harry Chapin Food Bank,” said Haniff. “One three-hour shift in a distribution center equates to approximately $93 toward in-kind services, or enough to feed 15 Southwest Florida families. Together, we can bring about a transformation and truly make a difference.”

To learn more about Harry Chapin Food Bank, visit www.harrychapinfoodbank.org.

About Harry Chapin Food Bank

Harry Chapin Food Bank, a member of Feeding America, is the largest hunger-relief organization in Southwest Florida. The food bank rescues food that would otherwise go to waste and distributes it to children, families and seniors who are hungry through a series of food distribution programs that feed more than a quarter of a million people each month.

Harry Chapin Food Bank distributed $61.5 million worth of food in fiscal year 2022. Through our food distribution programs, we supplied 34.7 million pounds of food and other grocery items, including 12 million pounds of fresh produce. The food is the equivalent of 29 million meals distributed to those who are hungry.

Our membership with Feeding America enables us to amplify our food and distribution efforts and bring in food from various retail and grocery stores, national food producers and distributors, and growers locally, nationally and even internationally.

Harry Chapin Food Bank is proud to be named a Blueprint Partner by the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), the founding organization of the Naples Winter Wine Festival. Harry Chapin Food Bank is also a United Way partner agency. For more information or to make a gift, please call 239.334.7007 or visit harrychapinfoodbank.org.