Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County opens Port St. Lucie food pantry for its members

Nearly 20% of St. Lucie County children were deemed "food insecure" in 2020.

That means a "lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life," according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County has responded by opening a new food pantry for its members to supplement their groceries. The Chuck Hill Club in Port St. Lucie unveiled the pantry, which is not open to the general public, at a Sept. 15 event.

Summertime: How kids were kept fed on the Treasure Coast

Expanding services: Treasure Coast Food Bank to build $35 million distribution center

COVID-19: Coronavirus pandemic worsens childhood food insecurity

A new food pantry opened at the Boys and Girls Club of Port St. Lucie County on Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022. The food pantry, named the CHU Pantry, is available for club parents who may need items to fulfill their grocery gap. Fruits, vegetables, proteins, dairy products and starches are available upon request for the club members.
A new food pantry opened at the Boys and Girls Club of Port St. Lucie County on Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022. The food pantry, named the CHU Pantry, is available for club parents who may need items to fulfill their grocery gap. Fruits, vegetables, proteins, dairy products and starches are available upon request for the club members.

Boys & Girls Clubs family members can visit the pantry — either when they pick up their child or during club hours from 2-7 p.m. Monday through Friday — whenever they're running low on essential such as dairy, protein, vegetables or starches.

An estimated 100 families will benefit from the pantry.

"It will be utilized on a needs basis," said spokesperson Marissa Kappus. "We aim to provide our club members and their families with whatever they need, so the items that they receive will be highly based on that family's needs."

Esther Cepeda fills out a form to receive food from a new food pantry at the Boys and Girls Club of Port St. Lucie County on Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022. The food pantry, named the CHU Pantry, is available for club parents who may need items to fulfill their grocery gap. Fruits, vegetables, proteins, dairy products and starches are available upon request for the club members.

GL Homes renovated the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County's storage room

GL Homes renovated the club's 300-square-foot storage room. The residential construction company installed shelves, provided a refrigerator and standalone freezer, and donated $20,000 to keep the pantry stocked for about six months.

"No one can be expected to learn, focus or grow on an empty belly," company spokesperson Sarah Alsofrom said. "Hunger is a critical need that must be met."

The club hopes to sustain the project beyond that through similar collaborations with other community partners, Kappus said.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony attracted a few people who'd heard the news, but didn't understand the pantry was only for club members and not the general public.

Esther Cepeda of Port St. Lucie and her relatives didn't leave empty-handed. The club asked her to fill out a form indicating what items she wanted in her bag, and gave her information about a community food pantry where she could go in the future.

Gianna Montesano is TCPalm's underserved communities reporter. You can contact her at gianna.montesano@tcpalm.com, 772-409-1429 or follow her on Twitter @gmontesano13.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: GL Homes donates to St. Lucie County's Boys and Girls Club food pantry