All Faiths Food Bank recently received significant gifts from multiple funders in support of its work to end hunger. Grants received and programs to which funding is designated include: Bank of America Charitable Foundation, $30,000 (general operating); HCA Healthcare Foundation, $25,000 (Food is Medicine); Regmark Foundation, $38,000, The James M. Doss Charitable Foundation, $25,000, Feeding America, $2,206 (School Pantry program); Bank of America Client Foundation, $72,000, Harry Sudakoff Foundation, $40,000, Roberta Leventhal Sudakoff Foundation, $40,000, Solar Quest Foundation, $25,000, Wolohan Family Foundation, $25,000, Harold C. and Jacqueline F. Bladel Foundation, $8,000, and Annette J. Hagens Memorial Foundation, $1,400 (BackPack program).

All Faiths’ Food is Medicine program is a collaborative effort between the food bank and more than two dozen local healthcare and community organizations which screen new patients for food insecurity using two simple questions about food access. Neighbors who screen positive are referred to All Faiths for additional resources. At specific sites in Sarasota and DeSoto counties, patients who need immediate assistance are able to shop on-site Wellness Markets – “choice-style” food distributions that allow families to select culturally appropriate, nutritious groceries in the same place where they already receive care. Beyond food, Wellness Markets connect neighbors with wraparound services, strengthening families and communities.

More than 50% of Sarasota County students and 100% of DeSoto County students rely on free and reduced-cost meals at school. But when school is out, children lose access to this critical nutrition. To help fill the hunger gap, All Faiths’ BackPack program – the organization’s first child hunger-focused initiative, launched more than 16 years ago – provides snack bags for weekly distribution to students for weekends and during school breaks. During the 2024-2025 school year, approximately 17,643 students received backpacks each week at 43 schools and 27 youth-serving organizations across the region.

All Faiths’ School Pantry program operates 28 pantries that distribute fresh produce from local farms as well as dairy, meat, and pantry staples to ensure children and their families have access to nutritious food throughout the year. The organization partners with the Sarasota and DeSoto county school districts to offer pantries in local schools and other child-focused organizations — eliminating transportation and scheduling barriers, and putting healthy food directly into the hands of parents and caregivers. In 2025, the School Pantry program reached 6,266 households (16,934 neighbors) and distributed more than 1.6 million pounds of food — including more than 227,000 pounds of produce — equating to over 1.3 million meals.

“Thanks to the generosity of these funders and the strength of our community partnerships, children are receiving nutritious food through our BackPack and School Pantry programs, patients at local healthcare facilities can return home with fresh groceries and our operational capacity has been strengthened,” said Nelle S. Miller, president and CEO of All Faiths Food Bank. “With the support of these recent grants, we will continue reducing barriers to nutritious food for our neighbors — including children, seniors and veterans — who are experiencing hunger.”

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.