Have extra supplies? Nonprofits can use them,
Organizations happy to take your extras
Feeling lucky to have electrical power, dry floors and a roof that is still over your head? Wondering what to do with your massive stash of canned chili, breakfast cereal and bottled water?
Central Florida nonprofit organizations working to help your less-fortunate neighbors would welcome the chance to take that food and water off your hands.
“We’re trying to get the word out that if you stocked up for the hurricane and now have too much food in the house, bring it to us,” said Robert Stuart, executive director of the Christian Service Center for Central Florida, which manages the Love Pantry — the source of free food for students in 68 local schools. “We know there are a lot of families that can’t get food right now, so when school resumes next week, we’re expecting a really big hit. Nothing will go to waste.”
They’re not alone. Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, Southeastern Food Bank, and JFS Orlando (formerly Jewish Family Services) and a handful of other local charities also will put your supplies to good use.
“We really need water,” said Landon Fleming of the Ocoee-based Southeastern Food Bank. “All of our water went out before the storm. We were making shipments to Texas” after Hurricane Harvey. That was before Central Florida was hit by Irma.
Now, Southeastern Food Bank needs nonperishable goods too, including MREs or Meals Ready to Eat — those durable pouches of food created by the military for troops in the field.
At Organize Florida, workers trying to help lower-income neighborhoods hard hit by the storm are especially in need of ice.
“That’s the No. 1 thing people are requesting,” said Yulissa Arce, the nonprofit’s Central Florida regional director. “We have a lot of people who have medications they need to keep cool, and we’re out of ice to give them. But we can also use canned food, powdered or nonperishable cartons of milk, baby formula and diapers. We have a lot of kiddos with no power.”
At United Against Poverty, which runs a lowcost grocery south of downtown Orlando, food and water were especially critical this week — as families who had to throw out everything in their refrigerator when the power went out tried to restock.
“Because of fuel shortages and trucks coming from out of state, it’s costing us four times as much as usual to ship food in,” said executive director Eric Gray. By Thursday, the price per truckload had shot up from $600 to $2,400 — and 25 truckloads were scheduled in the next three days. “We also lost all of our own refrigerated food when our power went out.”
The agency also urgently needs volunteers to help with the restocking process.
In Longwood, Northland church is asking for donations of nonperishable food and water for its emergency shelter — which is still housing those who can’t yet return home — and for crews of volunteers laboring in community clean-up efforts. In addition to canned goods and bottled water, the ministry can use cleaning supplies, small tools, tarps, rakes, brooms, shovels, mops, rags, fivegallon buckets, large, heavy-duty garbage bags, work gloves, boots, masks, baby items, paper towels, toilet paper, toiletries, bug spray and pet food.
On the flip side, some charities are cautioning against making unsolicited donations, such as secondhand clothing and household items, to any agency doing relief work. Instead, give those things to charities that can put them to good use — such as Goodwill donation centers.
“It’s a huge problem,” said Bill Oakley, chairman of the Florida Goodwill Association. “I’ve heard it called the disaster after the disaster because it can be a logistical nightmare for charities to sort through everything and distribute it.”
For victims of Irma, Goodwill Industries is partnering with the Red Cross to provide vouchers to use in its stores, so people can pick out what they need most.
For other donations, here are some of the agencies welcoming supplies: Love Pantry: three Christian Service Center locations — 808 W. Central Blvd., Orlando, 32805; 300 W. Franklin St., Ocoee, 34761; or Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3377 Aloma Ave., Winter Park, 32792. Open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. See christianservicecenter.org for more information.
Second Harvest: 411 Mercy Drive, Orlando, 32805. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. feedhopenow.org
Southeastern Food Bank: 655 N. Kissimmee Ave., Ocoee, 34761. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. southeasternfoodbank.com
JFS Orlando: 2100 Lee RoadRd., Suite A, Winter Park, 32789. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. jfsorlando.org
Organize Florida: 134 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando, 32801. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. orgfl.org
United Against Poverty: 150 W. Michigan St., Orlando, 32806. Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. uporlando.org
Northland, A Church Distributed: 530 Dog Track Road, Longwood, 32750. Any day, including weekends, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Rink building. northlandchurch.net/hurricane
Goodwill Industries of Central Florida donation centers: numerous locations. See goodwillcfl.org for addresses and times. ksantich@ orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5503. Follow @katesantich on Twitter.