Harry Chapin Food Bank, the largest hunger relief organization in Southwest Florida is honored to announce it has received a $350,000 matching grant from the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation to support the organization’s Care and Share Senior Feeding Program.

The Ricard M. Schulze Family Foundation will match all donations made to the Care and Share Senior Feeding Program, up to $350,000, through June 30, 2024.

“We are grateful for the unwavering support of the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation and its commitment to ending hunger in Southwest Florida,” said Stuart Haniff, chief development officer at Harry Chapin Food Bank. “This grant will leverage resources in ensuring seniors throughout our community have access to healthy and nutritious food.”            The Care and Share Senior Feeding Program supplements the diets of more than 2,200 low-income seniors in Charlotte, Collier and Lee counties with nutritious, easy-to-prepare food. Eligible seniors over the age of 60 receive kits containing canned fruits and vegetables, canned proteins, grains, cereal and other items each month. Harry Chapin Food Bank also provides fresh produce, frozen meats, dairy and bread when available.

            “We are proud to partner with the Harry Chapin Food Bank to support the Care and Share Senior Feeding Program,” said Mary Beth Geier, the Florida director for the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation. “This matching grant will allow Harry Chapin Food Bank to not only continue, but strengthen, this innovative program and ensure no senior in Southwest Florida goes hungry.”

According to Feeding America, more than 135,250 people in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Glades and Hendry counties faced food insecurity in 2021. Food insecurity is defined as the lack of access to enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle.

Now in its 40th year, Harry Chapin Food Bank feeds more than 250,000 people each month through a variety of food distribution programs.

To make a donation or to learn more about the Care and Share Senior Feeding Program, 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 cost-effectively source 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.

About the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation 

The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation was created in 2004 by Best Buy founder, Dick Schulze, to give back to the communities where Dick and his family grew up – in Minnesota, where he built Best Buy to become the world's largest consumer electronics retailer, and in Florida, where he now maintains a permanent residence. The Schulze Family Foundation creates grant partnerships with organizations that generate meaningful results in human and social services, education, and health and medicine. In all its activities, the Foundation embraces its founder’s vision to strengthen and support initiatives that lead to change within our communities. For more information, please visit schulzefamilyfoundation.org.