All Faiths focuses on child hunger

All Faiths Food Bank wants to bring organizations in the community to the table to impact child hunger in Sarasota. 

Tuesday morning community leaders were invited to that table for the 2016 Child Hunger Summit at the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium for what All Faiths Food Bank CEO Sandra Frank calls a “revolution in food banking.”

Frank acknowledged that All Faiths Food Bank reaches 60,000 lives per year, but it's not enough with the level of food insecurity in Sarasota and Desoto Counties. In Sarasota the rate for overall food insecurity is 14% but it's even higher at 24% for children in the county. 

“Hunger is a health issue,” Frank said. “When you begin to analyze it that way it expands your reach and collaborations with other organizations.”

Among the lineup of speakers helping to tackle the issue of child hunger was keynote speaker Florida Surgeon General and Secretary of Health Dr. Celeste Philip. Philip explained the perspective of how health is necessary for addressing child hunger and also development in school. 

Frank called on community organizations to collaborate to help solve the issue of child hunger in Sarasota county where 53% of children in school are enrolled in the free and reduced meal programs. Some of the schools in the area facing the highest rates of free and reduced lunches are Alta Vista Elementary School with 96% and Tuttle Elementary School with 91%. 

“Hunger is a health issue. When you begin to analyze it that way it expands your reach and collaborations with other organizations.”
-Sandra Frank, All Faiths Food Bank CEO 

Both schools have pantries set up through All Faiths Food Bank that allow families to regularly take home food supplies. 

“When children are not in school or families are not on campus receiving meals there isn't a consistent source of nutrition,” said Barbara Shirley, Alta Vista Elementary School principal.