News » Community Support
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Springtime in the Full Circle Garden
With warmer weather now upon us, it is the time to begin our Spring planting and harvest for the The Full Circle Garden, which is now growing produce at two locations; the Destin Pantry and the Walton County Academy Campus. This Spring we are planting a variety of vegetables to be harvested for use in both our Full Circle Kitchen cooking classes as well as for our seasonal program support. Through these gardens, we are working to provide more fresh food to kids in our programs and give them the opportunity to see how fresh food grows, is harvested and then ready to eat.
Food For Thought Fun Fact: Every month 26K items of fresh food are produced from our Gardens!
Destin Pantry Garden
Walton County Academy Garden
Since our gardens have been established, we have volunteers, kids from our Full Circle Kitchen program, and other groups come to help keep our gardens growing. If you have a green thumb, or just enjoy being outside and would like to volunteer in either of our gardens this spring or summer, let us know! volunteer@fftfl.org
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National Nutrition Month!
Did you know that March is National Nutrition Month? 1 in 7 children in Walton and Okaloosa Counties live in food insecure households and don't always get the nutrition that they need. That’s why we provide backpacks filled with healthy, easy to prepare foods for students who are dependent on free or reduced school meals. This wouldn't be possible without our volunteers and sponsors! Thank you for supporting our mission and making a difference in our community!
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Corporate Sponsor- Howard Hospitality
We are beyond grateful for Howard Hospitality! Howard Hospitality continuously supports us at every level, from volunteering in the pantry to being a Corporate Sponsor. Their dedication to Food For Thought has helped us grow over the years and we are fortunate to have them in our corner. Thank you, Howard Hospitality!
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Volunteer Spotlight- Marci Sherwood
Marci SherwoodHow long have you been volunteering with FFT?I started volunteering with FFT in 2015. I brought a group of friends to pack backpacks, which then led to delivering backpacks at a school. From there, I have assisted in the kitchen cooking classes and most recently joined the Advisory Board.What drew you to FFT?My husband and I have three children and until I heard Tiffanie speak, I had never heard of food insecurity. Learning there were hungry children in my own kids’ classes in this beautiful beach community broke my heart. I love donating my time and resources to an organization that directly impacts children’s lives, giving them not only food but also the knowledge they are cared for by their community. I continue to support FFT because I see first-hand how the organization is supporting children and their families as the needs grow and change.Favorite part about being involved with FFT?One way FFT serves the kids in our community is the cooking classes in the Emeril Lagasse Foundation Full Circle Kitchen. I’ve been lucky to assist in multiple classes throughout the past two school years. Spending time with the kids, hearing their stories and watching them gain confidence in themselves is one of the most rewarding experiences in my life.
Do you have a special memory or something that has impacted you during services that you would like to share?At a recent volunteer meeting, Tiffanie asked the group what brought them to volunteer with FFT. A mother and daughter were the first to answer. They had come to sign up as new volunteers because there had been a time when the mother needed assistance and her daughter received the backpacks at school. The mother went on to say that she was so thankful for FFT and their assistance during those hard years. She wanted to pay it forward and help others the way she’d been helped. Seeing their story come full circle was such a touching moment. My sincere hope is that we have many more of those stories to share in the future.
We appreciate you, Marci! We are so grateful that you support Food For Thought! -
Full Circle Kitchen
How cool is this?! This is a meal cooked by students from AMIkids in our Full Circle Kitchen under the instruction of invaluable volunteer Memorie Spence using greens sourced from our very own Full Circle Garden. Our goals of sustainability are becoming more real every day and made possible by the community that continues to invest in its future. And THAT is some real Food For Thought! If you would like to volunteer in the kitchen email volunteer@fftfl.org
