Dr. Phillips Charities (Dr. Phillips Inc. and The Dr. P. Phillips Foundation) today announced a $250,000 donation to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida’s newly launched “Building Solutions to Hunger” capital campaign, a large-scale fundraising effort that will help build a 100,000-square-foot headquarters. The gift secures the naming rights to the Agency Mart area of the new facility.
According to Dave Krepcho, president and CEO of Second Harvest, the need for additional space is paramount. “The harsh reality is that the demand for our services continues to grow and our infrastructure must grow with it,” he said. “Each year, we’re forced to turn away more than two million pounds of donated food due to a lack of adequate space and equipment. Capacity is king in the world of hunger relief and a new facility will provide the ability to more than double our current distribution over the next 10-15 years. The gift from Dr. Phillips Charities will directly help many thousands of Central Floridians.”
Robert L. Mellen, III, President of Dr. Phillips Charities said, “Recognizing the impact of Second Harvest’s programs on eliminating hunger in central Florida, as well as the importance of its assistance to so many other nonprofits that have feeding programs or provide direct food assistance to needy families, our Board unanimously agreed to continue our long-standing partnership with the food bank and provide significant support for this important community project.”
Second Harvest’s new building will house an expanded distribution center, volunteer workspace, freezer, cooler, offices, and meeting space that can be utilized by many outside groups throughout the community. One of the key areas will be the Agency Mart area of the warehouse, where the Food Bank’s hundreds of nonprofit feeding partners will view and access greater amounts of fresh food and other new products.
Additional campaign donors include Morgan & Morgan, P.A., Darden Restaurants Foundation, Capital Grille, Baker Barrios Architects, Brasfield & Gorrie, Burke, Hogue, Mills, Inc., CNL Financial Group, Inc., Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation, Second Harvest’s Board of Directors, and many more generous contributors.
To learn more about the “Building Solutions to Hunger” capital campaign visit www.showmercynow.org or call 407-295-5009, ext. 21.
