Southwest Florida is viewed as a subtropical paradise and a sunny playground for wealthy executives and retirees. Beyond the boutiques of Fifth Avenue South and beachfront mansions of Sanibel Island, though, families struggle to keep food on the table. Richard LeBer, president and CEO of Harry Chapin Food Bank, addresses the hunger crisis in Southwest Florida and how it has expanded to include a surprising group of individuals who are experiencing hunger for the first time.
Q. What percentage of Southwest Floridians are food insecure?
LeBer: “It’s estimated that one in eight people in Southwest Florida – and one in six children – need hunger relief. These are our neighbors, friends, co-workers and family members. Everyone is impacted in some way by this crisis. Food insecurity doesn’t necessarily mean an individual or family has no food whatsoever, but it does mean that they don’t have reliable access to enough food so that their families struggle to live an active, healthy life.”
Volunteers are critical to Harry Chapin Food Bank’s mission.
Q. Are there big differences in food insecurity rates between counties served by Harry Chapin Food Bank?
LeBer: “It may be surprising for some, but the gaps are closing. Collier has the region’s lowest food insecurity rate at 11.7%, but that’s just slightly below Lee’s rate of 12.7%, according to Feeding America. Charlotte (13.8%), Glades (16.6%) and Hendry (16.8%) all exceed the state average. Everyone is familiar with the pockets of wealth along Southwest Florida’s coast, but the region has just as many pockets where our neighbors struggle.”
Richard LeBer
Q. What groups of people are considered food insecure?
LeBer: “For years, Harry Chapin Food Bank’s focus was supporting families, seniors and veterans, and it still is today. Starting with Hurricane Irma in 2017 and continuing through the pandemic and Hurricane Ian, we’ve noticed a new, somewhat unexpected group emerge. They have steady jobs and stable housing, and have not needed our help until now.”
Q. Who or what comprises this new group experiencing hunger?
LeBer: “The sad truth is that many households with two working parents, or even two retirees with pensions and Social Security struggle to keep food on the table. Hurricanes, COVID-19 and inflation hit everyone hard, especially those working in hospitality and tourism, construction, health care and other fields. Even first responders like law enforcement, firefighters and paramedics – the heroes of our community – are food insecure. Despite having stable jobs that pay well, their salaries aren’t enough to cover the cost of housing, vehicles, insurance, utilities and other expenses. Individuals experiencing hunger include those who never expected to struggle like this, and for many, it’s the first time in their lives they’ve needed to ask for help.”
Q. Why are people continuing to struggle with food insecurity?
LeBer: “There is an assumption that food banks only serve people who are living in poverty, but that’s not the case. Many individuals with a college education and a decent job are just one or two unexpected bills away from needing help. A car repair, broken appliance or medical emergency can pop up at any time, and paying those bills takes precedence. You can only stretch the budget so far and sometimes there simply isn’t enough income to cover everything. Some individuals we’re serving now were our donors and volunteers just a few years ago; now they need our help.”
Q. What are some numbers to help tell the story of hunger in Southwest Florida?
LeBer: “Harry Chapin Food Bank distributed 39.5 million pounds of food in 2024, the equivalent of 32 million meals. Those are incredible numbers. Each month, our organization helps feed nearly 250,000 of our neighbors through our Feeding Network of more than 175 agency partners across all five counties.”
Q. How are local organizations overcoming the food deserts that exist in Southwest Florida?
LeBer: “Despite so much commercial growth in Southwest Florida, there are many parts of our community where residents don’t have easy access to quality, nutritious food. These are called food deserts. Not everyone has a car, and Southwest Florida’s public transportation system isn’t as robust as we’d like. Meanwhile, food prices are rising, oftentimes faster than paychecks. That’s why Harry Chapin Food Bank and its Feeding Network have added mobile food pantries in areas of high need, places like Golden Gate, Immokalee and Dunbar.”
Q. What is your biggest need as 2025 begins?
LeBer: “Like most nonprofits, monetary donations help fuel our mission. We rely on philanthropic support to address the challenges our neighbors face. Donations from individuals, foundations and businesses enable us to serve our neighbors. We invite the community to help us feed those experiencing hunger and to prepare for the future as we address hunger in this community. Additionally, we also need volunteers. People volunteer individually and in groups – small groups and large – representing residential communities, civic organizations, churches, schools and businesses. In 2024, 5,900 volunteers logged nearly 79,000 hours of service. Their support is valued at $2.5 million. Their willingness to help allows us to conserve staff and money, and focus them where they’re needed most.”
Q. What types of roles can volunteers serve?
LeBer: “Volunteers do a variety of things. Many sort and pack food at our distribution centers in Fort Myers and Naples. Others help us distribute food at mobile pantries in many locations throughout the region. Volunteers also organize food drives within their workplace or community.”
Q. How can readers help support Harry Chapin Food Bank?
LeBer: “We encourage all our neighbors, whether they can give help or need help, to visit our website – HarryChapinFoodBank.org. That’s the quickest way to learn about hunger in Southwest Florida. Our mission is to lead our community in the fight to end hunger, and that’s exactly what Harry Chapin Food Bank has been doing since 1983.”
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Harry Chapin Food Bank leads in the fight to end hunger | Opinion
