JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jewish Family & Community Services’ Max Block Food Pantry has seen the demand for their hunger-relief services nearly double in the past few months, due to the rise in its clients’ other monthly expenses such as gas, housing costs and more.
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Despite the ongoing support of the Block family, for whom the pantry was named, this caused a severe shortage of available food that the nonprofit needs to effectively operate.
Winn-Dixie, a longtime JFCS supporter, and the Winn-Dixie Gives Foundation, helped fill the gap with an emergency delivery of 200 cases of shelf-stable pantry essentials on Thursday, May 5.
“The generous assistance of Southeastern Grocers came at a critical time,” said JFCS Director of Development Susie Menaged. “It will help us meet the current demand while we turn to the community to meet our long-term goals through our current hunger relief fundraising drive.”
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JFCS recently launched its May-July Max Block Food Pantry Annual Challenge, in which every donation to its food pantry is matched by donations from Jacksonville’s Block family to help raise enough funds to keep the pantry stocked throughout the year.
In addition to the heightened demand due in part to rising inflation, the organization typically sees an increase in usage during the summer months, when children who benefit during the school year from reduced-cost or free school breakfasts and lunches are out of school.
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Established in 1917, Jewish Family & Community Services has been operating in the Jacksonville community for more than 100 years. JFCS provides a wide range of services to people of all races, religions and backgrounds in six key program areas: adoption, foster care, emergency financial assistance, mental health counseling, dropout prevention and senior support.
JFCS also provides Jewish life services, which includes assisting Holocaust survivors.
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Founded in 1925, Winn-Dixie grocery stores, liquor stores and in-store pharmacies serve communities throughout the five southeastern states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi.
Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. is a subsidiary of Southeastern Grocers, which is one of the largest supermarket chains based in the Southeast.
For more information, visit www.winndixie.com or www.segrocers.com.
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