Extend a helping hand this September with our Community Food Drive

By Alicia Brickey

Community is what makes us whole. In each and every way possible, we try to find different ways to support our community and give back when the chance comes. In honor of National Food Bank Day, which is the first Friday of September, Collective Ventures has decided to sponsor a food drive for The Pantry of Broward County.

The Pantry of Broward is a non-profit organization right here in South Florida. The Pantry was founded in 2008 by Elizabeth “B.J. Buntrock,” a local philanthropist who saw the need for a charitable organization that could help local seniors and grandparents raising their grandchildren on fixed incomes. In addition to providing its 425 clients with a 55-pound box of nutritional foods each month, The Pantry meets with each person to determine their additional needs (and those of the children they are raising) and assist them with applying for and obtaining food stamps, government assistance, affordable housing, discounted utilities, transportation assistance and low-cost healthcare services.

With the summer coming to an end and getting back in to the flow of a regular schedule with school and work, this happened to be a great time to hold a drive. The pantry’s special events coordinator tells us, ”The summer is very slow for us and it makes it hard for us to serve our clients all year round during this time.”

The Pantry of Broward has a wide variety of needs, which means just about anyone could be of help. From neighborhood food drives, to volunteer opportunities, to individual donors pledging funds, there is many that can be done in support of this local mission. If interested in donating, please stop by Cafe Collective anytime during the month of September with a non-perishable food donation, or check out http://www.thepantryofbroward.org/how-you-can-help/ to see how you can help.