Food Bank of Manatee seeks donations

After a summer of feeding hungry families throughout Manatee County, the Food Bank of Manatee is struggling to provide food for food pantries and individuals in need.

The Food Bank has no pasta, canned meats, peanut butter or soup and it can't provide food pantries with nonperishable items.

"We have none of those nonperishable foods left to give,"  Food Bank Director Cindy Sloan said.

The organization is operating with 163,000 pounds of food to feed nearly 90 food pantries, residential programs, nonprofit organizations and other groups in the area.

The number might sound sufficient, but it isn't, Sloan said.

"We're running on more than 100,000 pounds less than what we had in January," Sloan said. "We're in worse shape than we were in last summer. We need help."

Sloan doesn't expect the donations to meet the demand until November, "the giving time of year," when residents remember to donate for the holidays, Sloan said.

To make a donation, visit a local Goodwill or library within Manatee County. Or, bring donations to the Food Bank, located at 811 23rd Ave. E., Bradenton.

Call 747-4655 for more information.

Contact Amanda Sebastiano at [email protected].