Click HERE for tickets!

August 16, 2016

Santa Rosa Beach, FL

By: Jessica Roberts

TICKETS ON SALE FOR 4TH ANNUAL ART OF GIVING BENEFIT

Kids Edition: Local Charity Highlights Young Artists

Tickets are on sale for Food For Thought Outreach’s 4th Annual Art of Giving presented by Porath & Associates to be held on Thursday, September 15th at 6:30pm at Churchill Oaks on the Choctawhatchee Bay. Lite bites will be provided by Brotula’s Seafood House and Steamer.

In previous years, the annual art auction has raised over $180,000 and featured local artists such as Justin Gaffrey, Allison Wickey, Justin Lyons, Chandler Williams, Matt Lyons, Marisol Gullo, and Velia Lala. This year the local nonprofit is switching it up and turning the event over to the kids for the Art of Giving - Kids Art Edition! Local schools have partnered with local artists and this year, the students will be auctioning off their pieces to help raise funds to fight child hunger!

Ohana Institute will be working with the Institute’s Director of Events, Julie Martin, as their Artist Partner as well as returning Art of Giving Artist, Allison Wickey. Cecilia Yglesias Haught has partnered with Noah’s Ark Preschool, Mya Schilder will be guiding the Northwest Florida Ballet, and Gulf Place Artist, Billie Gaffrey has partnered with the Seaside Neighborhood School. The students’ pieces along with their Artist Partners will be part of a silent auction alongside many other exciting packages and exclusive local items!

“We really wanted to bring the focus back to the kids. This is why we’re all here - to help fight child hunger, to fight food insecurity, and give our local students the best chance to succeed.,” says Tiffanie Nelson, Founder and Executive Director of Food For Thought Outreach. “We’re excited to be back at Churchill Oaks and we are excited to feature these young artists. Support from community partners like Churchill Oaks is so amazing - they’ve already committed to hosting next year’s event as well!”

In their sixth year, local charity Food For Thought Outreach has gone from serving 6 children at one school to over 1,500 children a week across 18 elementary, middle, and high schools in Okaloosa and Walton counties during the 2016-2017 school year and recently served record numbers of families through their summer outreach programs. Food For Thought Outreach provides backpacks filled with healthy, easy to prepare food for students who are dependent on free or reduced school meals to help bridge the gap between school meals during weekends.

To reserve your tickets online, please visit fftfl.org/products/art-of-giving-ticket

For more information, please email kevin@poortruman.com or visit www.fftfl.org

About Food For Thought Outreach

Food For Thought is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization based in Santa Rosa Beach, FL that provides backpacks filled with healthy, easy to prepare food for students who are dependent on free or reduced school meals. Our goal is to support a child’s development and educational experience by bridging the gap between school meals during weekends and holiday breaks. Food For Thought has been working to fight child hunger since 2010, and currently serves 20 schools in Walton and Okaloosa Counties, providing backpacks for 1,500 students each week. For more information, such as donation locations, pantry items needed, and opportunities to volunteer, please email info@fftfl.org.

About Churchill Oaks

Nestled on 40 acres in the bend of Churchill Bayou and Hogtown Bayou in the Choctawhatchee Bay, you’ll find Churchill Oaks, a new residential community designed to embrace all the beauty that nature has to offer. With over half a mile of common area access to South Walton’s ultimate playground, the Choctawhatchee Bay, Churchill Oaks offers a lifestyle like no other. All homesites feature amazing water views and are large enough to accommodate courtyards, outdoor kitchens, and gardens so each home connects with its natural setting. An environment well suited for the community’s Colonial and Low-Country architecture that accentuates the style and grandeur of the south. Churchill Oaks is thoughtfully designed around Southern magnolias, live oaks, and long-leaf pines, leaving 46% of the property untouched, timeless, and awe-inspiring.

August 23, 2016
Santa Rosa Beach, FL
By: Jessica Roberts

FOOD FOR THOUGHT BEGINS CONSTRUCTION ON “FULL CIRCLE KITCHEN’

O.B. Laurent Construction Helps Local Nonprofit Bring Dream into Reality

Food For Thought Outreach has officially begun construction on their newest project, Full Circle Kitchen. As part of the long-term mission to end child hunger, the kitchen will help provide classes, host fundraiser dinners, and more in the years to come. The kitchen is being built within Food For Thought’s current Santa Rosa Beach Pantry as part of the organization’s growth into the community.

Food For Thought Outreach is moving into its sixth year serving Okaloosa and Walton Counties by providing weekly backpacks filled with healthy, easy to prepare food items to students receiving free or reduced lunch during the school year. Food For Thought estimates that the organization will serve 1,500 students across 20 schools during the 2016-2017 school year.

“This is our next step in fighting food insecurity in our community,” says Tiffanie Nelson, Food For Thought Founder & Executive Director. “We want to remove the barriers between acquiring and preparing healthy, nutritious food.”

Hilary Farnum, Food For Thought Board of Directors Member and Owner of Beachy Beach Real Estate, adds, “By meeting their basic need of food and combining that with teaching them a life skill, it empowers these children more than anyone could ever imagine. I think it's so amazing to think about the whole cycle - a business owner who currently supports Food For Thought might one day in the future employ these same children and break the cycle of poverty.”

Through the generosity of several community partners, including Howard Hospitality, The Pierce Family, and O.B. Laurent Construction, the original construction is fully funded! Projected to be completed in February 2017, classes will begin soon after. As part of the series of community classes, Full Circle Kitchen will provide opportunities for local students to come to the Santa Rosa Beach location to learn how to prepare meals, and as the classes progress provide the skills necessary to start a food service career.

“We at O.B. Laurent Construction are proud to be a partner in this project with Food For Thought. Giving back to our community is an integral part of our company’s mission. Seeing your contributions working to serve your own community is exceedingly more rewarding.,” says Warren Laurent, Director of Operations at O.B. Laurent Construction, Inc.

If you or someone you know would like to donate time, funds, or services to Food For Thought Outreach, please email info@fftfl.org or visit fftfl.org

About Food For Thought Outreach

Food For Thought is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization based in Santa Rosa Beach, FL that provides backpacks filled with healthy, easy to prepare food for students who are dependent on free or reduced school meals. Our goal is to support a child’s development and educational experience by bridging the gap between school meals during weekends and holiday breaks.  Food For Thought has been working to fight child hunger since 2010, and currently serves 20 schools in Walton and Okaloosa Counties, providing backpacks for 1,500 students each week. For more information, such as donation locations, pantry items needed, and opportunities to volunteer, please email info@fftfl.org.

About O.B. Laurent Construction, Inc.

A distinguished leader in custom home building, O.B. Laurent Construction, Inc., is recognized for their architectural detail, design, and craftsmanship of the highest quality and standard. The family owned and operated company has been building in the South Walton area of the Florida panhandle since 1991. Their integrity has allowed them to develop long standing relationships with their clients. Featured in Southern Living, Coastal Living, Birmingham Home & Garden, VIE, and Design Bureau Magazine.

Food insecurity is present in every county in the United States but not all families who worry about hunger qualify for government assistance. According to Feeding America, 12 million children in our country worry about where their next meal will come from.  27.1% of children in Walton County and 25.2% in Okaloosa County are food insecure.  About 6 children in your child's class are more worried about what they are going to eat next then what their teacher is saying.  

When a child is food insecure their ability to focus in school severely decreases. They have increased anxiety and aggression and often miss school due to chronic illness.  

Food For Thought is working in Walton and Okaloosa Counties to make sure food isn't something our children have to worry about.  This school year we will deliver backpacks full of healthy, easy to prepare food to 20 different schools and reach 1500 students a week.  In addition to our weekly backpack program, Food For Thought has holiday and summer services and provides all teachers in the schools we serve with a monthly supply of snacks for their classroom.  

With your help Food For Thought is removing the negative impacts of hunger for children in our community so they can get the most out of their education and development.   

 *Thank you note from a teacher in one of the local schools that Food For Thought serves.