THE GOLDEN GATE
Delivering food to the elderly and making sure they don’t go hungry is what St. Matthews House at the Golden Gate Senior Center on Friday.
There is a great need in the area, and the nonprofit is teaming up with the Harry Chapin Food Bank to provide the seniors with the food they need.
WINK News spoke to the woman while she was waiting in line for food. She said she is grateful for it and depends on the food distribution. How was Friday’s event different from the others? It was for seniors only.
A few miles from wealthy Naples, the Golden Gate is a hotbed of poverty where the need for food never ends.
“We are seeing increased needs, especially for our seniors who are on fixed incomes. The numbers have really increased this year,” said Liz McCoy-Ferreira, Community Outreach Specialist at St. Matthew’s House.
Inflation has raised the prices of almost everything. Every month St. Matthews House is partnering with the Harry Chapin Food Bank to distribute food to seniors 62 and older at the Golden Gate Senior Center.
“The elderly people who are not there go to this distribution and they go here by bus. So we try to support them as best we can,” said McCoy-Ferreira.
Among the regular visitors is Juani Delgado. “Oh, anything helps. »
She said that everything helps, because the situation is not easy, and food like this helps everyone. Delgado said she can’t afford to miss those monthly raises. “It helps me.”
Delgado said she doesn’t need to go to the grocery store with her limited cash. Whatever she receives from the distribution, she does not need to buy.
Such distributions take the pressure off people living on fixed incomes. Something Mark Davis is eternally grateful for.
“The community… Many of them are starving. And thank God they’re here, you know. Anyone who can help helps the community a lot. You see, go ahead and do what you can. It’s real,” Davis said.
In addition to receiving much-needed support from the Harry Chapin Food Bank, St. Matthew’s House also depends on people helping to stock its pantry.
The need is great now. Their food supply has dwindled from 12 weeks to just 2 weeks.
HOW TO HELP:
Help us raise $450,000 to put a million meals on the tables of hungry families in Southwest Florida.
You can make a donation by visiting our March to the Million Meals donation page.
