Feature
Content
Feeding Northeast Florida Uses Volunteers to
Fill Most Basic Human Need
Victims of hunger on the First Coast are given food and hope thanks to Feeding
Northeast Florida
Kerry Galligan
“Who am I to judge who’s hungry?”
Bruce Ganger, C.E.O. of Feeding Northeast Florida (FNEFL) creates a lasting
impression on those he speaks to about his organization.
Every day, FNEFL aids hundreds of people in its region with food items
donated from the community and a variety of grocery store giants including B.J.’s
Wholesale and Winn Dixie.
The majority of the work is done at FNEFL’s distribution center, where every
day food trucks deliver organized food items to the 17 different pantries
throughout the counties the organization serves. The trucks are greeted by a line of
people- often numbering in the hundreds- patiently waiting as long as five hours for
their next meal.
Feeding Northeast Florida CEO Bruce Ganger in line with beneficiary while unloading trucks at one of the 17
distribution centers.
All too often hunger is depicted as a problem belonging exclusively to thirdworld countries. In reality, hunger sits in America’s backyard. It’s the children on the
free-lunch program at school, the college students skipping dinner so they can make
rent and the families standing in line at pantries such as those provided at FNEFL.
According to Ganger, one in four children and one in six adults do not where
their next meal is coming from. They do not have the luxury of going through the
Chick-fil-a drive-thru when the 6 p.m. stomach rumble comes around. Furthermore,
they do not typically have the resources to put well-rounded meals on the table.
That’s where FNEFL comes in.
Volunteers are the muscle behind the operation, with opportunities for every
age group. Middle school students and senior citizens work side by side to package
donated items for distribution.
Recent college graduate Ashley Roberts spends her Wednesdays at the
distribution center on Edgewood Avenue.
“It reminds me of my time doing philanthropy work with my sorority on
campus, it’s always important to look outside yourself and see there are more
important things in life,” Roberts says.
This is a common trend amongst volunteers, according to Ganger.
“If I can get people in the door, and they can see that the food they touch
today will be on someone in need’s table tonight, I can get them to come back-with
friends,” he says of the volunteer experience.
Ganger’s passion behind what he does shows when he speaks about his
mission. As an Illinois native, he grew up around the farming industry which gave
him a unique perspective of the hunger epidemic. With that background, Ganger can
“simply not accept the fact that people go hungry.” However, Ganger cannot
complete his mission alone.
Generous donations from grocery stores and community philanthropists fill
the shelves of the center- now it is up to volunteers to organize.
Volunteers from youth groups, clubs and all lifestyles don gloves and a
hairnet as they sort through food items to be distributed in the evening.
“I think volunteering creates such an impact on those who participate
because they are able to see that the food they pack today will end up on the plate of
someone in need tonight,” Ganger explains.
Fraternity brothers from the University of North Florida volunteering at Feeding Northeast Florida’s food
distribution center and creating meals for First Coast families in need.
In just one day, FNEFL’s food trucks are expected to carry 40,000 pounds of
food. Without the volunteer force behind the organization, those families that rely
on food pantries like FNEFL would go hungry.
Even celebrities are coming together with FNEFL in support of their cause.
The 2014 champion of the Professional Golfer’s Association (PGA) Tour, Billy
Horschel has partnered with FNEFL to give back to the community. On November
12th, Horschel will be touring the facility and making a surprise presentation as part
of the PGA’s “Giving Back Month” tradition.
PGA Tour winner Billy Horschel presenting Feeding Northeast Florida with a check for ten thousand dollars to
create meals for local people in need.
Ganger stresses that no matter what background someone comes from, the
most basic of all human needs is food. Without organizations such as FNEFL, this
need would go unmet.
UNF Volunteer Center Coordinator Sarah Rosen claims “We are on this earth
for so much more than to serve ourselves, we are given the gift of a conscience as
human beings and with that ability, we can help those in need.” With food being a
human necessity, FNEFL fills the void for those who are unable to meet one of life’s
most basic needs on their own.
In the battle against hunger, FNEFL stands at the frontlines to fill the plates
and change lives of those in need on the First Coast.
Fill Most Basic Human Need
Victims of hunger on the First Coast are given food and hope thanks to Feeding
Northeast Florida
Kerry Galligan
“Who am I to judge who’s hungry?”
Bruce Ganger, C.E.O. of Feeding Northeast Florida (FNEFL) creates a lasting
impression on those he speaks to about his organization.
Every day, FNEFL aids hundreds of people in its region with food items
donated from the community and a variety of grocery store giants including B.J.’s
Wholesale and Winn Dixie.
The majority of the work is done at FNEFL’s distribution center, where every
day food trucks deliver organized food items to the 17 different pantries
throughout the counties the organization serves. The trucks are greeted by a line of
people- often numbering in the hundreds- patiently waiting as long as five hours for
their next meal.
Feeding Northeast Florida CEO Bruce Ganger in line with beneficiary while unloading trucks at one of the 17
distribution centers.
All too often hunger is depicted as a problem belonging exclusively to thirdworld countries. In reality, hunger sits in America’s backyard. It’s the children on the
free-lunch program at school, the college students skipping dinner so they can make
rent and the families standing in line at pantries such as those provided at FNEFL.
According to Ganger, one in four children and one in six adults do not where
their next meal is coming from. They do not have the luxury of going through the
Chick-fil-a drive-thru when the 6 p.m. stomach rumble comes around. Furthermore,
they do not typically have the resources to put well-rounded meals on the table.
That’s where FNEFL comes in.
Volunteers are the muscle behind the operation, with opportunities for every
age group. Middle school students and senior citizens work side by side to package
donated items for distribution.
Recent college graduate Ashley Roberts spends her Wednesdays at the
distribution center on Edgewood Avenue.
“It reminds me of my time doing philanthropy work with my sorority on
campus, it’s always important to look outside yourself and see there are more
important things in life,” Roberts says.
This is a common trend amongst volunteers, according to Ganger.
“If I can get people in the door, and they can see that the food they touch
today will be on someone in need’s table tonight, I can get them to come back-with
friends,” he says of the volunteer experience.
Ganger’s passion behind what he does shows when he speaks about his
mission. As an Illinois native, he grew up around the farming industry which gave
him a unique perspective of the hunger epidemic. With that background, Ganger can
“simply not accept the fact that people go hungry.” However, Ganger cannot
complete his mission alone.
Generous donations from grocery stores and community philanthropists fill
the shelves of the center- now it is up to volunteers to organize.
Volunteers from youth groups, clubs and all lifestyles don gloves and a
hairnet as they sort through food items to be distributed in the evening.
“I think volunteering creates such an impact on those who participate
because they are able to see that the food they pack today will end up on the plate of
someone in need tonight,” Ganger explains.
Fraternity brothers from the University of North Florida volunteering at Feeding Northeast Florida’s food
distribution center and creating meals for First Coast families in need.
In just one day, FNEFL’s food trucks are expected to carry 40,000 pounds of
food. Without the volunteer force behind the organization, those families that rely
on food pantries like FNEFL would go hungry.
Even celebrities are coming together with FNEFL in support of their cause.
The 2014 champion of the Professional Golfer’s Association (PGA) Tour, Billy
Horschel has partnered with FNEFL to give back to the community. On November
12th, Horschel will be touring the facility and making a surprise presentation as part
of the PGA’s “Giving Back Month” tradition.
PGA Tour winner Billy Horschel presenting Feeding Northeast Florida with a check for ten thousand dollars to
create meals for local people in need.
Ganger stresses that no matter what background someone comes from, the
most basic of all human needs is food. Without organizations such as FNEFL, this
need would go unmet.
UNF Volunteer Center Coordinator Sarah Rosen claims “We are on this earth
for so much more than to serve ourselves, we are given the gift of a conscience as
human beings and with that ability, we can help those in need.” With food being a
human necessity, FNEFL fills the void for those who are unable to meet one of life’s
most basic needs on their own.
In the battle against hunger, FNEFL stands at the frontlines to fill the plates
and change lives of those in need on the First Coast.
