St. Lucie County - Thursday October 27, 2022: Treasure Coast Food Bank will kick off holiday preparations again this year by packing 15,000
holiday meal boxes. The 8th Annual Pack the House takes place Friday and Saturday Oct. 28 and 29th with hundreds of volunteers packing ‘round the clock.
Keeping with its annual tradition, Treasure Coast Food Bank kicks off the event at its Volunteer Sorting Facility on Friday, Oct. 28, with a ceremony with sponsors and local dignitaries. The first three-hour packing shift begins after the ceremony. Shifts continue throughout the day, with the final shift taking place Saturday morning. Each shift features a fun theme, such as a dance party, trivia contest, or Halloween costume contest, and all shifts include food generously donated from Treasure Coast restaurants.
It’s one of several activities Treasure Coast Food Bank is planning to ensure that everyone can share in a traditional holiday meal this year as inflation continues to stress household budgets. There also is an upcoming holiday auction, turkey drive, and many volunteering opportunities.
“The holiday season is especially difficult for people who struggle to make ends meet, and this year with the high cost of food and other necessities, we have many more people struggling and seeking help,” said Judith Cruz, President and CEO of Treasure Coast Food Bank. “This holiday season, one in four people don’t always know where their next meal will come from, and we’re asking everyone to give thanks by giving to neighbors in need through a donation or by volunteering.”
Help people in need by making a cash donation. A $50 donation provides a full holiday meal for a family of four. Visit stophunger.org/thanksgivingmeals to donate.
Treasure Coast Food Bank also will be collecting frozen turkeys to include in holiday meals. Anyone wanting to donate a frozen turkey can drop it off at Treasure Coast Food Bank’s headquarters at 401 Angle Road in Fort Pierce, anytime between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
“We strive to ensure that everybody on the Treasure Coast has the opportunity to share a holiday meal, regardless of what they’re facing in their lives,” Cruz said. “In the upcoming weeks before Thanksgiving, we’ll provide holiday food boxes to our 300 partner agencies to distribute to people in need. We’ll also use our Mobile Distributions to provide families with holiday food boxes so they can prepare their own traditional holiday meals.”
Another way to help is by participating in the annual Holiday Online Auction. Shop for holiday gifts while supporting people in need on the Treasure Coast. There are tickets to Disney World, the Orlando Science Center, Tampa Zoo and Dinosaur World. There also is a Certified A.E. Backus Print, and other original art pieces and several pieces of fine jewelry.
The Holiday Online Auction is presented by Florida Power & Light and takes place Dec. 2-12. Treasure Coast Food Bank is seeking additional auction items. Contact Alexandra Lord at alord@tcfoodbank.org or 772-446-1765 for more information.
There are numerous volunteer opportunities throughout the season, starting with Pack the House. Join the hundreds of volunteers who will assemble the holiday meal boxes by participating in a 3-hour packing shift. Or work alongside Treasure Coast Food Bank’s staff to help with registration, passing out tee shirts or handing out door prizes.
Several community partners are supporting Pack the House. Walmart Supply Chain is this year’s Ceremonial Sponsor. Supporting sponsors are Cleveland Clinic Martin Health, iTHINK Financial, and TD Bank.
To find out more about ways to help or to sign up to volunteer, visit stophunger.org.
ABOUT TREASURE COAST FOOD BANK
Treasure Coast Food Bank is the only food bank and largest hunger relief organization on Florida’s Treasure Coast, providing the community each year with millions of meals valued at more than $50 million through robust programs and in partnership with 300 charitable organizations in Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, and Okeechobee counties.
For more information on Treasure Coast Food Bank, call 772.489.3034, log on to stophunger.org, visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/tcfoodbank, or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/tcfoodbank.