Florida Food Bank Reflects Harry's Spirit

by Bill Hornung

Editors' Note: Harry Chapin's legacy of inspiring others to act to eradicate hunger lives on in local, national, and international anti-hunger organizations today. In celebration of this legacy, starting with this issue, Circle! begins a series of articles that spotlight some of the organizations where Harry's influence continues to make a difference.

The Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida illustrates just how far Harry's legacy stretches. The food bank is tucked between the gulf coast town of Naples where the ultra rich vacation and the outskirts of Lee County where many of the country's ultra poor live.

Harry's example of never giving up is what saved the food bank from nearly going out of business in 1990. The food bank hit tough financial times, but then food bank president John Poelker remembered that his friend Harry would not give up so easily.

The food bank rallied community resources and convinced Tom and Steve Chapin to perform benefit concerts to re-energize the food bank. The organization also hired Hawley Botchford, a seasoned business executive, to make sure the food bank stayed on strong financial footing.

After five years of hard work, the food bank moved in 1995 into a renovated warehouse. In celebration of its new beginnings, the organization asked Harry's wife, Sandy, if the food bank could be renamed in her husband's honor. After all, it was Harry's passion that had inspired the once beleaguered food bank board to keep fighting when things looked dismal. Sandy said the family would be proud to be associated with the food bank.

Now, 13 years later, the food bank distributes more than 4 million pounds of food annually. Each month, an average of 36,000 clients are served by 170 partner agencies throughout five southwest Florida counties that rely on the food bank.

Botchford has led a number of innovative initiatives to join forces with groups and organizations to not only promote food security but also create efficiencies being modeled by other food banks:

In 2004, the food bank and local American Red Cross chapter expect to move into a state-of-the-art facility that houses both organizations in a coordinated effort to lower operating costs while simultaneously providing integrated responses in times of emergency. Called the Alliance for Community Response, the $7 million center will act as a coordination hub for dozens of organizations that might be involved in the event of disasters in the region. The center includes classrooms that partner organizations can use for workplace skills training as well as Red Cross classes on nutrition and safety. A commercial kitchen will be used daily by the food bank, but it also can be converted to prepare meals for victims and volunteers during an emergency.

A Kids Cafe feeds thousands of children each week during an after school program. But the food bank also involves local schools in its annual Empty Bowl program. Art teachers work with local volunteers to talk about hunger issues while the kids handcraft ceramic bowls. The bowls are then sold during a hunger awareness event at a local shopping center to raise money for food bank.

Botchford has testified before the U.S. Congress on hunger issues, works on national committees of America's Second Harvest and has served twice as President of the Florida Association of Food Banks. At the request of Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Botchford also was asked to evaluate and assist with recommendations to improve the Mexico City food bank systems.

In 1997, the food bank received national recognition for its innovative use of technology to streamline its operations. Botchford spearheaded a partnership with computer giant Hewlett-Packard to develop one of the most advanced networked computer systems deployed by a food bank. Botchford later helped extend the partnership into a broader pact that benefited dozens of other food banks in the America's Second Harvest network.

Visit www.harrychapinfoodbank.org to learn more, or to make a donation.