Representatives of Cedar Key Organizations Express Concern About Food For The Needy

Citizens representing major organizations in the city met Monday night to assess plans for a program to feed needy people of Cedar Key, Sumner and Rosewood. Mr. Bill Delaino chaired the meeting. County Commissioner, Lily Rooks presented Bill Brown and his daughter Beth Brown of Bronson. Mr. Brown and his wife are founders of Children's Table.

Children's Table was begun in 1996 and has grown rapidly. It is now serving in forty-nine counties in Florida. Since the beginning of this year, Children's Table has distributed 129 truckloads of food – 42 thousand pounds of food in each truck.

The need is very great, Mr. Brown said. Thirty-two percent of children in Levy County are at or below the poverty level, and children can't excel without proper nutrition. Yet that doesn't tell the entire story. There are many elderly people who do not fall at or below the federal description of poverty level but have to spend virtually all their income for housing and high medical expense leaving next to nothing for food. The major need for food comes from families with children and the elderly.

Mr. Brown said his organization would be glad to furnish food to a Cedar Key organization that would take responsibility for distribution. They already provide food to distribution centers in Inglis, Otter Creek, Bronson, and Chiefland. Other sources for food in the area include Second Harvest in Gainesville.

An expression of concern was expressed from Cedar Key markets that people might use a free food source as a main source of food thereby siphoning revenue away from the markets. Mr. Brown and other persons who were experienced in the operation of free food sources in other cities stated that this does not happen. Each person must qualify as a recipient and distribution is tracked to avoid abuse. People with no money to buy food are not clients for our commercial markets, they said.

The group present represented The Women's Club, Garden Club, Lions Club, Christ Episcopal Church and The United Methodist Church. Expressions of support have also been received from The First Baptist Church and The Church of Christ.

The group will meet again May 20 to set goals and finalize plans to begin operation.