CLEARWATER, Fla. – Scott Bench says, it's been tough feeding his family of four. 

What You Need To Know

  • Now that school is out for the summer, it's more important than ever to donate to your local food bank

  • Some families rely on the school system to feed their children during the year

  • During the summer, those families turn to local food banks for assistance

“I got a 14-year-old and an 11-year-old so, it helps,” he said. The Benches are among the 70,000 people who rely on the Hope Villages of America's Food Bank in Clearwater to help them feed their families. Organizers say most people only think of giving around Thanksgiving and Christmas, but Hope President and CEO Kirk Ray Smith says this time of year is when they need donations to the most.

“The kids out of school so they’re not getting those two meals,” Smith said. “So a lot of parents they have to offset those two meals during the summer and are unable to do so because a lot of families don’t make a living wage, so they depend on us.”

Since the pandemic began, Smith says they've seen a 300% increase in people needing their food bank and those numbers haven't dropped.

Typically, during the holidays, they're filled to the rafters with food here at Hope Villages of America, but right now those rafters are empty.

They say during this time of year, they see a 20-30% drop in donations but at the same time see a 20-30% increase in the need for food. For Scott and his family, they don't need percentages to know their need is real. He's just grateful to find help. 

“It’s been a huge help. We came here before and we also go to our church and they’ve helped out also.”