- April 25, 2024
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Second Harvest Food Bank was presented with almost $26,000 at the Volusia County Council meeting on Tuesday, June 21, a donation made possible through the county's 12th-annual Feed the Need drive.
The $25,776.15 donation will help the food bank deliver hunger relief aid to individuals and families in need in the community as Second Harvest partners with over 80 local agencies in Volusia County. According to a press release by the county, every dollar donated is able to be converted into $9 worth of food. With every $10 donated able to fund 40 meals, the donation will help provide over 104,000 meals.
“Second Harvest Food Bank can’t do the work that we do without generous donors like county employees or community partners like you all,” said Stephanie Marie Palacious, director of advocacy and government relations for Second Harvest. "... The people that we serve are people like you and I, and we're very appreciative of all the work that you've done and we hope to work with you again in the future."
The Feed the Need drive, held between March 21 and April 1, was able to raise $15,776.15, thanks to the participating agencies: the county, the Volusia County Tax Collector's Office and the cities of Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach Shores, Edgewater, New Smyrna Beach, Orange City, Ormond Beach, Pierson, Ponce Inlet, Port Orange and South Daytona. The remaining $10,000 were donated from the county's leftover State of the County event funds.
"Traditionally, the fundraiser has spurred a friendly — and I say friendly, but it's sometimes more than friendly — competition among participating agencies to make it a fun event for a very serious cause," said Kevin Captain, Volusia County community information director.
Fundraising winners were announced during the meeting in four categories. The city of Ormond Beach was recognized for being the municipal government that collected the most money. The city raised $700.
The recognition for the most money collected by a county operating division went to Volusia County Fire Rescue, which raised $2,320. Thus year's award for the most money donated per-capita, based on the number of employees in each county division or city government, went to the county's treasury and billing department, which raised $2,283, and the town of Pierson, which raised over $500. The county's purchasing department and the town of Ponce Inlet were named runner-ups.
"Every person, every division, every city and local government will get a certificate of acknowledgement and participation for the Feed the Need fund drive because it is such an important activity," Captain said.
