Thanks to Jones Edmunds Associates’ generosity, 200 pounds of food was delivered this week to the Hawthorne Food Pantry on Tuesday. JoAnne Talamo, Executive Assistant, said that volunteers were over the moon with the donations. 

Sharon Surrency with the Hawthorne Resource Service Center said, “We are so blessed to have groups, like yourself, who help us with our mission to “feed, assess, and meet the needs of families and individuals in body, mind, and spirit.”

Our Associates’ generosity did not stop there, as collections boxes were full again by the next day and another delivery will be made later this week and one last delivery expected Tuesday before Thanksgiving.

The Hawthorne Pantry accepts fresh food, and employees have brought in fruit, milk, and bread, along with beef, pork, and venison to donate.

The Center started as a ministry of the First United Methodist Church Hawthorne, and Church of the Holy Communion and began serving as a food pantry and resource service center in 2017, but the need in Hawthorne has been growing rapidly. This time last year, 300 households per month were served by the pantry, with the number jumping to over 600 households a month in 2019.

Crisis interventions that help with utilities, finding health care, and applying for food stamps or social security have risen from 25/month to 40/month. The Center is run by volunteers and serves the Greater Hawthorne area. They also have a partnership with the Alachua County Humane Society after people started trying to give them their pets when they could not afford to feed them. They now receive cat and dog food.

For those interested in donating or volunteering, you can contact the Hawthorne Food Pantry at 352-363-9333.