LifeNet4Families – Cooperative Feeding Program *
The Cooperative Feeding Program feeds hungry bodies, minds and souls – apart from hot meals, the children, women and men classes in life skills, they have access to job training, health clinics, haircuts, etc. The staff of The Cooperative Feeding Program is involved in education and advocacy issues with a focus on quality of life for children, the ill, and the elderly. They work with the homeless and the families living at the edge of homelessness. Preventing homelessness is a primary concern.
Project or Activity:
- Organize a food drive for food to be donated to the food pantry
- Collect hygiene items to be donated
- Serve meals in the Community kitchen
- Organize a clothing drive for needed clothing items like socks,t-shirts, sneakers, jeans
- Work in the food pantry packing boxes of food to be distributed to needy families & individuals
- Join the Bread & Butter Club with sustained monthly donation to The Cooperative Feeding Program which provides a bag of groceries for an individual or a family depending on the level of giving.
Contact Information: LifeNet4Families – Cooperative Feeding Program; Phone: 954-792-2328; support@lifenet4families.org; 1 NW 33rd Terrace, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33311
Feeding South Florida
Previously known as The Daily Bread Food Bank, Feeding South Florida is the local chapter of Feeding America and is a not-for-profit organization. It empowers other South Florida not-for-profit organizations to assist people in need and improve their lives. This is accomplished by providing food and other grocery products; and by educating and engaging our community to fight hunger and poverty.
Project or Activity:
Sorting of Donated Food & Grocery Products
Much of what is done at Feeding South Florida depends on volunteer help in the warehouse. Food donated from food drives, supermarkets and other food industry companies needs to be sorted, checked and repackaged. Volunteers process the bulk of the food in salvage creating a constant need for individuals in this department.
Administrative/Office Work
Volunteers are utilized in the office for all types of tasks. Feeding South Florida is always in need of people with computer and typing skills, and friendly faces to help us with our mailings. Volunteers can also assist with faxing, filing and making information packets.
Food and monetary Donations
Donations of all sizes are accepted and valued. Your food gifts are sorted into categories and then made available to member agencies. You may also donate to the Purchased Food Program which allows Feeding South Florida to acquire much needed high protein items such as tuna, peanut butter and more.
Contact Information: Feeding South Florida; Phone: 954-518-1818; Headquarters and Broward Distribution Center 2501 SW 32 Terrace Pembroke Park, FL 33023. To donate food, call 954-518-1835.
Feeding America
Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity, their network members supply food to more than 37 million Americans each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors. Feeding America benefits from the unique relationship between our 202 local member food banks (including Feeding South Florida) at the front lines of hunger relief and the centralefforts of our national office.
Contact Information: National Office, Feeding America, Phone: 800-771-2303
Share Our Strength – No Kid Hungry
Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign is ending childhood hunger in America by ensuring all children get the healthy food they need, every day. This program strives to end childhood hunger by connecting kids to effective nutrition programs like school breakfast and summer meals. This work is accomplished through the No Kid Hungry network, made up of private citizens, government officials, non-profit organizations, business leaders, and others providing innovative hunger solutions in their communities. These partners work together, implementing solutions that break down the barriers that keep kids from healthy food.
Project or Activity:
Host a Bake Sale
Share Our Strength’s Great American Bake Sale is a grassroots fundraising initiative that encourages people to host bake sales in their communities and donate the proceeds to No Kid Hungry, to help end childhood hunger in America
Personal Fundraising
Take charge with your own personal fundraiser by dedicating your birthday, marathon or other special event to raise funds for the No Kid Hungry campaign. It’s an easy way for you and your friends to help end childhood hunger.
Contact Information: Share our Strength – No Kid Hungry; Phone: 800-969-4767
Heifer International *
Heifer International’s mission is to work with communities to end hunger and poverty and care for the earth. By giving families a hand-up, not just a hand-out, Heifer International empowers them to turn lives of hunger and poverty into self-reliance and hope.
With gifts of livestock and training, Heifer projects help families improve their nutrition and generate income in sustainable ways. Heifer refers to their animal donations as “living loans” because in exchange for their livestock and training, families agree to give one of its animal’s offspring to another family in need. It’s called Passing on the Gift – a cornerstone of the mission that creates an ever-expanding network of hope and peace.
Project or Activity:
Team Heifer
Team Heifer is an online fundraising resource that allows groups to team up or compete to raise funds through a secure, personalized Team Heifer page.
Read to Feed
Read to Feed is a reading incentive fundraiser that will foster in your children a love for reading and a passion to help others while giving your children a way to raise funds for Heifer.
Heifer Challenge
Heifer Challenge is a fun, rewarding way to make a difference in the world. Participants, individually or as a group, select a challenge, like daring their principal to dress in a cow suit all day, decide how much it is worth, find sponsors, complete the mission and donate the funds for Heifer.
Heifer’s Tips for Fundraising handbook (PDF) contains information about planning and promoting your event as well as details of some fundraising resources. The handbook is available free as a PDF download.
Contact Information: Heifer.org
Soles 4 Souls
Soles4Souls is a Nashville-based charity that collects shoes from the warehouses of footwear companies and the closets of people like you. For us, comfort and style are the primary reasons for the footwear we select. For those without shoes the healthcare benefits is the most urgent reason footwear is so desperately needed. A quality pair of shoes protects their foot from scrapes, cuts, and contaminants that lead to potentially serious healthcare issues.
Project or Activity: Host a shoe drive, create your own fundraiser, sponsor a country or community, donate money, sponsor shoes for those in need.
Contact Information: Soles4Souls.org; Phone: 866-521-SHOE; info@giveshoes.org
Broward Partnership for the Homeless
Broward Partnership for the Homless, Inc. (BPHI) is committed to reducing homlessness by promoting independence and self worth through advocacy, housing, and comprehensive services. BPHI is a charitable organization, managed by a board of directors comprised of local community leaders.
Project or Activity:
Sponsor a Meal
Breaking Bread, Breaking Barriers
For the homeless, hunger is a constant companion, and a communal meal provides both sustenance and a way to connect with others. Broward Partnership for the Homeless’ Breaking Bread, Breaking Barriers Program offers the opportunity for families, companies, professional associations, faith-based organizations and others to sponsor, cook and serve a nutritious meal for the homeless residents at BPHI’s facility.
Volunteer
Another great way for a company or civic group to help their community is by volunteering at Broward Partnership for the Homeless. Some of the opportunities include helping prepare and serve meals, assist in the computer lab, work in the clothing room or library. Your time is appreciated and needed.
Wish-List for In-Kind Donations
Broward Partnership for the Homeless accepts in-kind donations of goods and supplies. BPHI does not sell these items. 100% of the donations are used by our residents and serve the needs of our center. Because of space restraints BPHI does not generally take gifts of furniture unless they have a resident moving out who is in need. In addition, they periodically welcome the gift of good quality office furniture.
Contact Information: BPHI.org; Phone: 954-832-6037
WECARE Community Outreach
The WECARE community outreach program operates a food pantry that provides over 3,500 bags of groceries each year to our neighbors in need regardless of race, religion, age, gender or nationality. WECARE also collects small toiletry items, provides free medical equipment loans including wheelchairs, walkers and canes, distributes hand-knitted items to nursing home residents, and collects eyeglasses and hearing aids that are sent to New Eyes for the Needy.
Project or Activity: Donations of toiletry items and medical equipment are very much appreciated.
Contact Information: Susam Baigelman, Director of WECARE, at (954) 792-6700 ext. 306 or sbaigelman@sorefjcc.org
Save A Sole
Save A Sole is a non-profit organization devoted to establishing a global movement to provide those most in need with a pair of shoes for the betterment of humanity.
Project or Activity: Volunteer, host a shoe drive, collect sports shoes, help women through “heels for hope”
Contact Information: SaveASole.org
Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of South Florida
RMHC provides a comfortable and supportive living environment for families who have loved ones in the hospital. The Fort Lauderdale house is next to Broward General Medical Center. This facility is able to accommodate up to 20 families.
Project or Activity:
Adopt a Meal
The Adopt-A-Meal program provides a much-needed support service to families who are taking care of their sick children, and often don’t have the time, funds, or energy to prepare a healthy, home-cooked meal. After a long day at the hospital or clinic, a hot meal is a welcome gift.
Organize an activity or event
Do you have a special talent? Share it with RMHC families. Are you good at crafts or maybe leading a game night? Think of the kinds of things you, your family and friends like to do together in your spare time and come share with the guest families. Some ideas on projects or events: Bingo night, card games, video games, arts and crafts, storytime with children, hand made quilts, singing, and pet therapy dogs
Host a Fundraiser
One way to help the Ronald McDonald House is by executing and hosting your very own fundraising event. Special people have special talents and RMHC could easily have additional volunteers help raise funds. If you happen to have an idea and would like to execute it, contact the Executive Director for final approval. You can then move forward and start planning.
Wish List
We want to make sure the families have what they need to make their stay as comfortable as possible. Just like any other House, we need items but in bigger quantities. Conduct a wish list drive at your school, work place or with friends to help the Houses in their every day needs
Pop Tabs Program (Soda Can Tabs)
Why do we save the pop tabs? With everyone working together, our Pop Tab recycling program provides a wonderful way to raise funds for the Ronald McDonald House in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Every year the program generates between $8,000 and $10,000 to help cover operating costs. It is a simple way to enhance public awareness of Ronald McDoanld House and its mission, while supporting the charity. Due to space, pop tabs are more efficient than the entire can and also most dense and purest form of aluminum within the can.
BONUS: We collect Pop Tabs at Temple Dor Dorim!
Contact Information: RMHCSouthFlorida.org; Phone: 877-RMHC-735; info@rmhcsouthflorida.org
