St. Matthew’s House breaks record for families fed in a month

St. Matthew’s is on pace to feed more than 150,000 families this year in Southwest Florida; easily shattering last year’s record of 86,000 families fed.

St. Matthew’s House, with the help of the Harry Chapin Food Bank, broke its record for families fed in a single month with seven food distributions. This month they served more than 20,000 families.

Immokalee resident Martha Penna doesn’t know how she would have made it a year into the pandemic without the two organizations.

“I don’t work for one year and everybody help us for the food,” Penna said.

Tracia Hughes said the ham brought her to the pantry on Wednesday.

“Actually some times I get stuff and pass it along to someone that really needs it,” Hughes said. “I just go and get it and pass it along to the ones that really need it.”

The food will be helpful during Easter Week now that families can come together.

“It only comes once a year and like I said the pandemic it got to where you can’t visit your family or friends to know you have a good meal it means a lot,” Hughes said.

Here’s the schedule for Easter week:

Monday, March 29: St. Elizabeth Church 5260 28th Ave SW, Naples, FL 34116 10:30AM – 12:30PM

Monday, March 29: Fort Myers Thrift Store 3954 Broadway, Fort Myers, FL 33901 3PM – 5PM

Tuesday, March 30: Fairway Bible Church 3855 The Lords Way, Naples, FL 34114 1PM – 2PM

Wednesday, March 31: Immokalee Friendship House 602 W Main St, Immokalee, FL 34142 10:30AM – 12:30PM

Thursday, April 1: Iglesia Pueblo de Dios Church 4400 Tamiami Trail E, Naples, FL 34112 10AM – 12PM

Thursday, April 1: First Haitian Baptist Church 14600 Tamiami Trail E, Naples, FL 34114 1PM – 3PM

Thursday, April 1: Mount Olive AME Church 2754 Orange St, Fort Myers, FL 33916 2PM – 6PM

For more information on St. Matthew’s House or how to donate visit stmatthewshouse.org.