Feeding Florida, a statewide network of Feeding America food banks providing a healthy, adequate and consistent food supply, will distribute over 500,000 units of mosquito repellent to Florida’s communities in an effort to assist in the overall health of Floridians. With Florida in the middle of mosquito season and ongoing concerns over Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases, the donation will provide families throughout Florida protection from mosquitos.
“Our statewide network of food banks is critical in times of need, working as a member of the states emergency response team to mobilize the necessary resources tailored to meet the needs of each community,” said Robin Safley, Executive Director of Feeding Florida. “Our network is constantly seeking solutions to ensure Florida’s communities remain healthy utilizing a full portfolio of strategies and assets. During mosquito season, prevention and education is a huge focus for our network, and mosquito repellent is critical to supporting the overall health of our communities, especially as our state faces the Zika virus.”
The Feeding Florida network supports more than 2,600 local nonprofits throughout the state, which provide nutritious food directly to more than 3.3 million individuals and families in need to ensure a hunger-free Florida.
“Feeding America food banks serve as the backbone of our community—working to identify solutions to ensure a healthy quality of life for our residents,” said Paco Velez, President & CEO of Feeding South Florida. “Our service area is ground zero for the Zika virus, so we look forward to providing our community with the necessary resources to prevent these mosquito-borne diseases.”
Currently, 33 of Florida’s 67 counties have reported Zika cases stemming from people traveling outside the continental U.S., with Miami-Dade County claiming 117 of the total.
“We all must do our part to prevent the spread of Zika virus – not only to protect ourselves, but to ensure the pregnant women in our communities are protected as they and their unborn babies are most at risk,” said Celeste Philip, MD, MPH, Surgeon General and Secretary of the Florida Department of Health. “We can take simple steps for prevention by draining standing water, covering our skin and clothing with repellent and ensuring we have well-fitting screens on our windows. I’m excited to join our statewide network of food banks to distribute mosquito repellent to our communities. Ensuring that all of Florida’s residents and visitors are educated and armed with the proper resources is one of our key goals in preventing this virus in our state.”
Statewide food banks are continuing to receive donations and will distribute to communities throughout the next few months to combat the threat of mosquitoes.
Upcoming distributions include:
Miami-Dade Distribution
Friday, August 12 at 11AM
Feeding South Florida, Miami Bethany Baptist Church
2490 NW 35th Street
Miami, Florida 33142
Palm Beach Distribution
Monday, August 15 at 9AM
Feeding South Florida, Village Baptist Church
3600 Village Boulevard
West Palm Beach, Florida 33407
Tampa Distribution
Saturday, September 24 from 9:30-11:30 AM
Community Resource Fair, Feeding Tampa Bay
4702 Transport Drive, Building 6
Tampa, Florida 33605
If you don’t see an upcoming distribution in your area, please contact Feeding Florida as additional distributions are being coordinated in the coming weeks.
About Feeding Florida
Feeding Florida is the state’s lead organization in the fight to end hunger. Our statewide network unites 14 member food banks to provide a healthy, adequate, and consistent food supply to every community every day. Feeding Florida member food banks support more than 2,600 local charitable agencies, which provide food directly to individuals and families in need to ensure a hunger-free Florida. Each year, the Feeding Florida network provides food to the 3.3 million Floridians facing hunger, including 1.1 million children and 700,000 seniors. Feeding Florida is a unified voice regarding hunger and food insecurity by focusing on each community’s needs. To learn more about Feeding Florida, visit www.FeedingFlorida.org.
