A generous matching gift from Sarasota residents Pat and Mary Mulva has doubled community support for children facing hunger, resulting in $310,000 raised to help provide food for students on weekends and during school holidays through All Faiths Food Bank’s BackPack program.

The Mulvas initially offered a $100,000 challenge match, encouraging the community to give to the program at a time when rising food costs and reductions to federal assistance programs have sharply increased demand for food support. Inspired by the overwhelming response, the couple increased their gift to $155,000, ensuring every qualifying donation would be matched dollar for dollar.

As a result, the campaign funded 62,000 BackPacks filled with nutritious food, helping thousands of children across Sarasota and DeSoto counties stay fed outside of the school week.

“No child should have to go without proper nourishment on weekends or during holidays,” said Pat and Mary Mulva. “We hope this gift not only increases awareness of this essential program, but also inspires continued generosity to help meet the growing need for food support for children in our community.”

The Mulvas’ commitment to fighting hunger began in 2019, when proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program threatened access to free school meals for nearly 200,000 Florida children. Since then, they have become deeply involved with All Faiths Food Bank, including serving as co-chairs of the organization’s Autumn Harvest campaign and supporting initiatives like Bowls of Hope, the Campaign Against Summer Hunger, and holiday meals and turkey distributions.

With consumer costs continuing to rise and recent federal cuts to SNAP and Medicaid taking effect, visits to All Faiths Food Bank increased by 25 percent in 2025, putting significant strain on child-focused hunger programs.

“Thanks to the leadership of Pat and Mary and the extraordinary response from our community, thousands of students in Sarasota and DeSoto counties returned to school nourished, focused and ready to learn,” said Nelle S. Miller, president and CEO of All Faiths Food Bank. “Instead of worrying about their next meal, these children can do what every child deserves to do — learn, play and grow.”

Approximately 43 percent of students in Sarasota County and 100 percent of students in DeSoto County rely on free or reduced-price meals at school. All Faiths Food Bank’s BackPack program — the organization’s first child hunger-focused initiative, launched more than 16 years ago — provides weekly food bags for students during weekends and school breaks. During the 2024–2025 school year, the program reached nearly 18,000 students each week at 43 schools and 27 youth-focused organizations throughout the region.

To learn more about All Faiths Food Bank, visit allfaithsfoodbank.org or call 941-379-6333.

About All Faiths Food Bank

All Faiths Food Bank is the only food bank and largest hunger relief organization in Sarasota and DeSoto counties, providing millions of meals each year in collaboration with more than 300 agencies and programs throughout the community. All Faiths works not only to end hunger today, but also strives to end hunger – forever – by helping families and individuals gain long-term food security, enjoy better health outcomes, and achieve self-sufficiency. All Faiths is rated four stars by Charity Navigator and is a partner of the Feeding America and Feeding Florida networks. Visit allfaithsfoodbank.org.