Venice Dems donate a huge volume of food

The response to the VADC (Venice Area Democratic Club) food drive completely overwhelmed the monthly Saturday Democratic morning meeting featuring School Board candidate Jimmy Glover at Naar Hall on Shamrock Ave .  About a week ago, an email went out to members asking them to bring some food to the monthly meeting that was to be part of the Club donation to the South County Food Bank.  The VADC wondered if setting up one table would be enough for the donated food.  But to everyone’s surprise, almost every one of the about 160 people that attended the meeting brought at least one food item to donate.  As attendees entered the meeting, the table soon filled up, and donations soon spilled out on to the floor around the table.  Almost all attending brought at least one food item; some caught  up in the spirit of giving brought full bags to share with those in need for the holiday season.

Frank Mowery, President of the Venice Area Democratic Club, is pictured showing the massive amount of food donated by benevolent members and guests.  Frank had lined up 2 people with SUV’s to carry the food to the donation center, but had to ask several others leaving the meeting if they could help bring some of the food to the donation center due to the unexpected volume of food donated.

The caravan drove to the South County Food Bank at 121 Warfield Ave. in Venice who welcomed the donations with open arms.  Bill Monday, a volunteer, wheeled a cart outside to load up the donated food from the several vehicles who lined up at the donation door.

This season in particular is a great time to donate extra food, money and gift cards to those in need due to the vast amount of government cutbacks to charitable causes, government worker’s paychecks and the threat of large increases in healthcare insurance looming on the horizon.  As we all know when we shop, grocery prices are up compared to just several months ago.  When you consider that about 1 in 4 (CBS News Report) Americans lives paycheck-to-paycheck the interruption of just one paycheck may be enough to rock their financial status to where their rent may become overdue, a car payment missed,  medications delayed or the weekly groceries reduced to what can be afforded that week.

The Venice Area Democratic Club is extremely pleased to be part of the whole Venice community that is giving to those in need this season, and is hopeful that more affordability will be our near future.  Sarasota had a very successful food drive this week too donating non-perishables to the Unitarian Universalists Reeb Room Food Pantry on Fruitville.