Yvonne Murray and her grandaughter's puppy Volche hands donated food items to Jessica Novins, the vice president of finance for the Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce. The chamber organized the Harvest and food drive collection in preparation for the holidays.
The Bonita Springs Assistance Office’s pantry is in need of canned food, cereal boxes and other nonperishable items.
The Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce organized its eighth annual Harvest Night at the Promenade at Bonita Bay in Bonita Springs recently to encourage the business community to donate foodstuffs and help the pantry prepare for the holiday season.
“We feed people 52 weeks out of the year and summer is the most difficult time for us because our clients are in such need,” said Lois Hollands, the administrator at the Bonita Springs Assistance Office.
Because the summer months are the Assistance Office’s busiest season, the stockpile of goods is at an all-time low and members of the chamber are doing what they can to help out.
“This is an opportunity for the business community to gain something back to those who may be in need,” said Nancy Keefer, chamber president. “We really care and it’s pretty impressive to see what these people bring to help out.”
The pantry finds that the summer months are most taxing on their clients because it’s a slower working season and many employees get less hours at work and aren’t able to put food on the table to feed their families.
“(Chamber) gives a wide variety of foods and this is a big help because it’s nice to be able to get more food for the holidays,” said Hollands, who said the chamber donated 4,000 pounds of food last year.
Jon McLeod, of Mobile Exposure, is donating his truck to deliver the food collected to the pantry.
“I have the ability to donate my services and this only scratches the surface of what they need,” said McLeod, who has been a member of the chamber for more than four years. “We support them as much as we can but his is a small effort.”
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