For 30 years, Gulf Coast Community Foundation has partnered with All Faiths Food Bank (AFFB) to address food insecurity across our region – working not only to provide food, but to strengthen the systems that help families thrive.
One powerful example is the DeSoto County Food and Resource Center (FRC). More than a traditional food pantry, the FRC was designed as a one-stop hub where neighbors can access nutritious food alongside critical support services, such as benefits navigation, nutrition education, and connections to community resources.
The FRC exists because All Faiths Food Bank identified the need for a more holistic approach to food access in DeSoto County, and a dedicated group of Gulf Coast donors stepped forward to invest in that vision. Their early partnership helped bring the original Food and Resource Center to life, creating a place rooted in dignity, stability, and long-term wellbeing.
Today, that vision is growing.
Through Impact Now!, a Gulf Coast donor collaborative in partnership with the Elsa & Peter Soderberg Charitable Foundation, donors have once again come alongside Gulf Coast to meet rising need – this time by supporting the move to a new expanded location. This investment will allow AFFB to serve more neighbors, more effectively, in a space designed to meet the realities of growing demand in DeSoto County.
The renovated 15,000-square-foot, two-story facility will significantly expand storage and refrigeration capacity while creating room for additional services that strengthen the regional food network. It represents not just growth in size, but growth in impact, ensuring more families can access the food and support they need when they need it. Alongside other innovative programs, such as the Newtown Market in Sarasota, the FRC highlights AFFB’s comprehensive, community-centered approach to providing nutritious, culturally-sensitive food across our region.
Gulf Coast staff and donors recently visited AFFB to see this holistic work in action. Nutrition is integrated into every program – from cooking classes to benefits navigation – ensuring families receive food that nourishes both body and soul. “It’s truly a hub of safety,” said Karissa Roosa, Senior Director of Food & Resource Initiatives at AFFB.
It’s a space of visibility for the community.”
Donors were inspired by the breadth of services that AFFB provides to the community and the specificity in which they tailor their efforts to address local needs. “I loved learning how strategic their approach is, how well they involve their neighbor communities, how culturally sensitive they are to the neighbors they serve,” said Wendy Kelly, a new Gulf Coast donor.
Everyone deserves access to nourishing food and the resources that support stability. The DeSoto County Food and Resource Center is helping make that possible because of donors who saw the need early and those who continue to invest in what’s next. We invite you to walk alongside Gulf Coast as this vital project comes to life, ensuring people in DeSoto County have the food and resources they need to thrive.
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