Joining Hands In Food Ministry

 

JOINING HANDS IN FOOD MINISTRY, INC. 

Joining Hands in Food Ministry, Inc. (JHIFM) is a collaboration of volunteers from from Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, First Presbyterian Church of Leesburg, and from around our local community who gather together on the second Friday of every month to feed Lake County families in need. Our free food distributions take place from 9:30 AM until 11:30 AM at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 130 S. Lone Oak Drive, Leesburg, FL.  

JHIFM was certifed as a 501(c)(3) non-proft public charity on July 20, 2014 and its current Board of Directors consists of six members, three from Gloria Dei Lutheran Church and three from First Presbyterian Church of Leesburg. Each month JHIFM volunteers order, transport, store, bag and distribute canned and packaged food as well as fresh fruit and vegetables that generally last each recipient one week.  

The food comes from donations of food and money from local citizens, from the congregations of both churches, and from Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.  Additionally, JHIFM periodically receives food drive donations from the Leesburg Rotary Club and from the "Touch of Glass" Corvette Club.  

In 2021 JHIFM received grants and ?nancial support from the following organizations: 

  • Lake County Department of Health and Human Resources 
  • Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida 
  • Thrivent Financial 
  • Chevron Corporation 
  • ELCA World Hunger (pending) 
  • Gloria Dei Lutheran Church 
  • First Presbyterian Church of Leesburg 

 

Joining Hands in Food Ministry (JHIFM) had a fantastic food distribution on December 10th, 2021 thanks to the efforts of 37 dedicated volunteers who worked very hard to feed 644 individuals from 183 families in need a whopping total of 11,775 pounds of nutritious food. For all of 2021 JHIFM volunteers served 5,451 individuals a total of 120,896 pounds of food.

From 2015 through 2020 JHIFM has experienced increasing numbers of individuals in need (see graph below). Nevertheless, our food ministry is meeting the challenge of fighting hunger in our local community thanks to the support of our volunteers and donors. We welcome new volunteers. Come and join us! 

 

 

 

Thank you to all the volunteers and supporters of JHIFM who have allowed our food ministry to strengthen and grow.  

Photos and videos of our recent food distributions can be viewed at Facebook.com/feedinghopenow/.

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