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Bridging the Gap between Food Surplus & Local Hunger

A room with long tables lined with boxes filled with assorted groceries like bread and snacks, aiming to bridge the gap in local hunger. Chairs surround the tables, and wreaths adorn the walls. A clock is visible, and large windows allow natural light to flood in.

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  • 2:56 min

Bridging the Gap between Food Surplus & Local Hunger

By Chris Leavenworth, Executive Director

Destin Harvest dba Emerald Coast Food Rescue (ECFR) has been working to bridge the gap between food surplus and local hunger since 2008. By delivering large volumes of food donations daily at no cost to over 40 food programs collectively within Okaloosa and Walton Counties in Northwest Florida, ECFR distributes approximately 180k pounds of free food a month. Recipient programs include soup kitchens, food pantries, homeless shelters, after school programs, meals-on-wheels, and even subsidized mental health clinics.

ECFR secures donations of frozen meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, non-perishables, dairy, deli, frozen and bakery items with refrigerated trucks regularly from 29 retail grocery stores and other retail food donors. Food provided by the stores is generally in great condition and can weigh between 500 – 5,000 pounds per location. ECFR delivers all the food for free the same day to local recipient nonprofits and churches. These same recipient agencies collectively feed thousands of hardworking families, children, retired veterans, and the elderly every week in Northwest Florida.

ECFR also sources trailer loads of free foods from Feeding the Gulf Coast to designated sites for county-wide food distributions when resources are available. Collaborating with community volunteers, law enforcement, and staff at established sites, ECFR will receive and stage over 35k pounds of food to load into 300 – 400 vehicles. 

In effort to increase accessibility to food assistance, ECFR is currently working on establishing food drops to programs that will serve as hubs to provide regular food assistance to the Spanish-speaking and non-English speaking communities locally. There is a profound need for improved access to free foods for people who struggle with language barriers, stigmatization, and documentation.

Food programs in Northwest Florida rely greatly on ECFR’s weekly deliveries to meet a growing need from their client base. Several recipient food programs operate entirely off ECFR’s weekly deliveries to provide weekly or bi-weekly boxes and bags for up to 500 – 1000 people a month. The service ECFR provides to local nonprofit food programs is a lifeline to thousands of struggling families and households.

A person is using a pallet jack to move a large stack of boxes filled with fruit onto a truck lift, bridging the gap between abundance and need. The boxes, adorned with images of oranges and apples, are set against a sunny sky in a grassy area, ready to combat local hunger.
A collection of stacked cardboard boxes inside a truck, some featuring cartoon characters, hints at an effort to bridge the gap in local hunger. The boxes contain various packaged goods, while loaves of bread in the foreground suggest transportation or delivery of essential food items.
A man in a blue shirt uses a pallet jack to move a loaded pallet, bridging the gap between food surplus and local hunger. Boxes with brands like Dole and UNFI abound, filled with greens and sweet corn. They're outside on a sunny day near a doorway.
A room with tables lined with cardboard boxes full of assorted groceries, including fruits and vegetables, aims at bridging the gap in local hunger. Chairs are positioned nearby on the tiled flooring, accompanied by wall decorations and a visible clock.
Logo of Emerald Coast Food Rescue featuring a stylized fish and wheat emblem. Text reads: "Bridging the Gap Between Food Surplus & Local Hunger." In smaller font: "Formerly known as Destin Harvest.

Recipient Food Programs of  ECFR:

  • Children in Crisis,
  • Catholic Charities of NWFL,
  • Fresh Start for Children and Families,
  • Caring and Sharing of South Walton,
  • The Salvation Army,
  • Bread House (Shalimar United Methodist),
  • CALM Organization Inc,
  • Westminster Presbyterian,
  • Youth Village,
  • Live Oak Baptist Food Ministry,
  • Hollywood Church of God in Christ Food Ministry,
  • Crestview Community Seventh Day Adventist,
  • Open Door Pantry,
  • Elleanor J Johnson Youth Center,
  • Crestview Area Shelter for Homeless,
  • Harvest House Inc,
  • Sharing and Caring of FWB,
  • S4P Synergy,
  • Fort Walton Beach Seventh Day Adventist,
  • First Presbyterian Church of Crestview,
  • Everlasting Word Gospel Church of Defuniak,
  • Chataqua Healthcare Community Action Team,
  • New Life Seventh Day Adventist, Community Food Program of Freeport,
  • Black Creek Community Outreach,
  • Sharing and Caring of Crestview,
  • Sharing and Caring of Niceville,
  • Backpack Buddies of Baker,
  • Crestview Resource Center,
  • Project Hope Recovery Center,
  • Our Daily Bread (Trinity United Methodist),
  • Westminster Presbyterian Church,
  • Elder Services of Okaloosa County (Meals on Wheels),
  • Ocean City Church Food Program,
  • First Baptist Church of Garden City,
  • One Hopeful Place,
  • First Christian Church – The Rock Ministry,
  • Holt Community Pantry,
  • Matrix COC,
  • House of Deliverance COGIC Food Program,
  • Blue Door – St Andrews By The Sea,
  • Beulah Baptist Church,
  • Fort Walton Beach High school,
  • Mercy Seat Ministries,
  • First Nazarene Church of Crestview (Dinner at Dad’s)

To learn more about programs that receive food deliveries from ECFR or how to secure food assistance please visit https://destinharvest.org/where-to-get-food/

Logo for Emerald Coast Food Rescue, featuring a stylized fish and wheat design. Text reads "Bridging the gap between food surplus & local hunger," emphasizing its mission to connect communities with nourishment. "Formerly known as Destin Harvest" is noted below.