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Food Bank Donations Exceed Hopes

Tribune Photo by FRED BELLET

Pine View Middle School 6th-grader, Jay Norman carries one of the many boxes of food, part of the undertaking for the Harvest for Humanity effort.

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By GEOFF FOX

gfox@tampatrib.com

Published: November 8, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - The boxes, filled with Cheerios, Jell-O, Ramen noodles, spaghetti and all manner of canned goods, were carried from the guidance counselor's area at Pine View Middle School out to two large pickups in the parking lot.

In a few minutes, the items, part of Habitat for Humanity of Central Pasco's second annual Harvest for Humanity food drive and fundraiser, were unloaded at Christian Social Services on U.S. 41 in Land O' Lakes.

With the slumping economy, Jacquie Petet, executive director at Christian Social Services, was pleasantly surprised by the amount of goods delivered Friday.

"We've had food flying out the door so fast," she said. "What looks like it should last a long time really doesn't. We've seen a big increase in people."

The agency typically serves residents from North Tampa to the Hernando County line.

However, Petet said a young woman from New Port Richey recently visited the agency.

"That's not really our service area, but you're not going to send her home with no food," she said.

Charlie Reese, a member of Habitat's board of directors, said Pine View Middle School also raised $800 that will go to Habitat's next home-building project in Pasco Lakes Estates, a subdivision off U.S. 41.

Habitat has built three homes in the neighborhood and started on another home.

Reese said the agency doesn't have a fundraising goal.

"Next Friday, we're doing the same drill at Rushe Middle School," he said. "We distributed boxes to anybody who requested them and we have a lot of volunteers who gave out boxes to contacts at Saint Leo University, Land O' Lakes High School, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and lots of businesses and banks."

Reporter Geoff Fox can be reached at (813) 779-4613. For more photos, go to snap.tbo.com, and click on Harvest for Humanity.

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