Mayor’s Feed the Hungry Thanksgiving Food Fund Drive launches

SARASOTA and MANATEE COUNTIES, Fla. (WWSB) - Mayors' Feed the Hungry, a non-profit sponsored by all nine mayors and both county commission chairs in Manatee and Sarasota Counties, announces its 2020 Mayors' Feed the Hungry Thanksgiving Food Fund Drive.

It will be held on Nov. 9–20.

The organization says personal exposure that would normally come with collecting, sorting, and distributing food will be limited due to COVID-19.

This year, the organization plans to donate $10 food gift cards to families at local food pantries located through Manatee and Sarasota Counties.

Mayors’ Feed the Hungry is asking schools, businesses, community associations, service clubs, and organizations to collect money to be used to purchase the gift cards.

Mayors' Feed the Hungry says food gift cards are replacing actual food this year because the gift cards are easy to handle and reduce personal contact to a minimum and allow recipients to purchase items of their own choosing, giving them some measure of dignity and choice.

We are limiting food cards to 1 per person with a maximum of 4 per family.

Schools that would like to participate can contact Mike Byrnes at autog15@yahoo.com.

Any individuals, businesses, or organizations that would like to participate can contact Kathy Byrnes at kathybyrnes89@yahoo.com.