Collier Community Foundation $300K grant to ease food insecurities

An organization that helps all kinds of non-profits, the Collier Community Foundation, received a $300 thousand grant helping Southwest Floridian’s food insecurities.

Collier Community Foundation works to identify needs in our community. Right now, food insecurity is at the top of the list. It’s why the $300 thousand is being turned into food in one form or another. This grant can really help Southwest Floridians gain a little peace of mind.

Patti Costa, the center director of Child’s Path Santa Barbara Center in Golden Gate said, “We have rising gas prices, rising food prices, people without jobs.”

The end of the school day at Child’s Path Santa Barbara Center is a lot like going into the treasure chest.

Patti Costa said, “They just run over to the cooler take it home, and I just say take because the cooler is full and sometimes we have a large bucket next to it so that’s a lot of food and so I’m telling them, giving to families take it, take it please.”

The snacks come from the Collier Community Foundation and this month $300 thousand went to tackle food insecurity.

Collier Community Foundation Senior Director of Marketing & PR Cindi Withorn said, “We had a certain donor step up with a fantastic grant, and then his generosity inspired another donor to make a grant when the need, exceeded funds.”

More than a dozen area non-profits are benefitting, and Child’s Path healthy take-home snack program is just one of them.

Withorn said, “They can eat them at home and their parents don’t have to worry that they can’t provide them the food that they need.”

Costa said, “Tonight, the cooler was empty and we it was watermelon and cheese sticks so they really enjoyed that.”

Hunger and Homeless Coalition and Cancer Alliance are both taking the money they received and turning it into gift cards. This grant was made possible by Ken Melkus and his family.

This year, Collier Community Foundation has provided $41 million in grants.