COVID-19 Updates

by Erin Minor

April 24, 2020

Good News

The Harvest Food Pantry has been working harder than ever to meet the growing needs of our community. We’re serving 74% more households and offering bigger boxes as much as possible. We are still operating our weekly community distribution on Thursdays from 10 am-Noon, our case managers deliver personalized food boxes to family clients on Fridays, and our Kitchen Manager and staff deliver boxes to Freedom and Veteran clients.

Unemployment rates in our programs are still at an all-time high. 44 adults are currently unemployed, including 24 family households, 18 Freedom clients, and 2 youth (18-24). An additional 45 clients are working part-time as a result of reduced hours. Although many are looking for employment, some parents cannot work until childcare options (schools, summer camp, etc.) are available. Still, thanks to some stability, a few were able to find other opportunities that are changing their lives for the better!

A 21-year-old client in the Freedom program was laid off from one restaurant job but was hired at another restaurant where a Harvest House graduate is a manager. She is grateful to be employed and to be able to work alongside a graduate and friend.
Another Freedom client was laid off from a local fast food restaurant but was able to secure another job at a local retirement home as a housekeeper. She said that she is so happy to be able to finally work with the elderly, and she would have never made the career move otherwise.
Two clients in the Home Again program were laid off from their jobs. One worked at a local restaurant and the other worked for a local cleaning company for rental properties. In the last week, both have found employment. One delivers food with DoorDash, and the other was hired in a retirement home to help keep up with new cleaning protocols.

Thank you, donors & volunteers!

Without our unified community of supporters, we would not be able to carry out our work on a daily basis, especially in the face of a global crisis.

Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation, and donors Bob & Lin Williams, awarded Harvest House $50,000 to meet the immediate needs of clients, including increased demand at the Harvest Food Pantry. Gulf Coast also awarded Harvest House a grant for the purchase of three new laptops to allow staff to work remotely.

Bank of America Charitable Foundation awarded Harvest House a $20,000 grant to support the Home Again permanent supportive housing program, helping keep the cost for housing and services affordable for the families we serve, especially during these times. We’re honored that our friends at BoA Charitable Foundation believe in our mission and support our work.

We received a generous grant of $20,160 from the Manatee County COVID-19 Community Response Fund to assist Harvest House clients residing in Manatee County.

We’d also like to send special thank you’s to Del Monte, Quinnd, Nellie’s Deli & The Overton, The COVID Response Network, and last but not least, our incredible donors.