More families across Osceola County are turning to the Salvation Army for help putting food on the table, and the nonprofit says it needs the community’s support to keep up with growing demand.
Since launching its mobile food pantry in June, the Salvation Army of Osceola County has seen a steady climb in the number of families seeking food assistance, and officials say they expect that trend to continue.
“The mobile food pantry is a service that has been administered to the Osceola County community. So, it only serves Osceola County residents,” Sasha Teman, Public relations manager for the Salvation Army’s Orlando Area Command, explained.
The pantry initially served 25 households in the Poinciana area when it first launched in June. Its most recent food distribution last Friday had 42 families pre-registered — a 68% increase in participation. By the time the event wrapped up, the pantry had served 52 families in total.
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“It really goes to show you that that number keeps on increasing; demand is increasing,” Teman said.
Each pantry bag contains 13 non-perishable food items — including canned vegetables and fruits, canned meats, pasta, rice, dry and canned beans, cereal, oatmeal, shelf-stable dairy products, and bread — and is valued between $22 and $24. The bags are designed to help families stretch their budgets during difficult times.
As financial hardship and rising costs continue to affect families across the region, the Salvation Army says it remains committed to ensuring help is accessible to those who need it most, but keeping the program running requires outside support.
“As more and more people register, as more people find out about this service in our community, we’re just expecting that number to continue to increase. We’re going to keep on meeting that demand. But in order for us to do that, in order for us to maintain the service, we also need our community to help us out as well,” Teman said.
How to support Salvation Army’s mobile food pantry
The Salvation Army accepts both monetary donations and non-perishable food items in several ways:
Online: Make a secure donation at The Salvation Army of Osceola County
By phone: Call 321-304-5125 and specify that the donation is for the mobile food pantry.
In person: Drop off non-perishable food items Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Kissimmee First Church of the Nazarene, located at 1550 Mill Slough Road, Kissimmee, FL 34744.