WINK News Feeds Families Hunger Walk still needs to raise more money

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LEE COUNTY, Fla.- With only nine days left until the WINK News Feeds Families Hunger Walk, the race is on to help the Harry Chapin Food Bank meet its goal of $315,000.

A little over $163,000 has been raised as of Thursday.

WINK News is introducing you to a group of volunteers, who donate their time, so the food bank has more money to give back to those in need.

“When you’re helping someone, when you are doing something for someone else, it always makes you feel better,” said Judy Hollar.

The Harry Chapin Food Bank volunteers spent the day packing up bags of rice to be boxed up and shipped out to someone in need.

“Even though packing a few bags of rice, or 100 bags of rice, whatever we may do in a three hour shift, it’s doing something,” said Doug Hollar.

Doug and Judy Hollar have been donating their time to the food bank for three years now. Although they live in Indiana, they vacation for a few months in Southwest Florida. While they’re here, the Hollars spend every Thursday helping out the food bank.

“Everyone can do something, and this is an easy way to do that,” said Judy Hollar.

The volunteers are why the Harry Chapin Food Bank can keep administrative costs low and be as efficient as possible.

“In 2014, volunteers donated over 52,600 hours, which equals $1.1 million in wages,” said volunteer manager Tanya Phillips.

Forty percent of the people that rely on the food bank are children.

“There is hungry people out there, children, who don’t have food, it’s not fair,” said volunteer Sue Peer.

“There are kids out there hungry, at no fault of their own, makes me feel good that I’m helping,” said Hollar.

The volunteers tell WINK News, although they may never meet the people they are helping, their time spent at the food bank is invaluable. For every box they tape up, or every bag of food they fill up, a memory is being made and they hope the community keeps on giving.

“They have good hearts, and we all end of becoming friends.”

The WINK News Feeds Families Hunger Walk takes place January 17th, at 9:30 a.m. at Miromar Outlets in Estero.

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