Sharing & Caring of Crestview, FL Sharing & Caring coordinates community efforts to meet emergency needs of families in the Crestview, FL area. Area churches, civic organizations, schools and school service clubs, individuals and the United Way fund our all volunteer organization.

HELPING HANDS

Rationing of FoodVolunteers divide the food into sandwich bags to give to individual families. The food given to families is meant to last 3 days.

Some families are homeless and some are without a job. Families Served can range in size from 1-6 people.

Cans of fruit and ravioli are stocked in the back. These products are meant to ensure that each family receives their recommended daily servings of protein and fruit.

In addition to food; toiletries and baby items are also provided to needy families. Because these items are all donated and they are considered extras, a family must specifically ask for items that are not food in order for it to be given to them.

The homeless are allowed to receive free food from the organization every two weeks. The items they receive depend on if they have the capability to heat and cool their food.

Families that are not homeless are allowed to receive free food once per month. The amount that they receive depends on the size of the family. Average amounts given are 1-2 grocery bags of food per family.

Breads and cereals are also provided to families. To keep the bread from molding, it is kept in the freezer. The bread is given

to families frozen, not thawed.

Thanksgiving MealsThis is the beginning of a collection of Thanksgiving food. This includes canned yams, pancake mix, cream of chicken and mushroom soup and box cake mix. It is estimated that Sharing & Caring (of Crestview) will provide Thanksgiving meals to approximately 200 families this year.

Sharing & Caring also has a shoebox Christmas program so that children will not go without Christmas. They are always collecting shoeboxes and gifts. A concern among

volunteers was that many people buy for small children but often forget about young adolescents and teenagers that go without Christmas.

"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. “ Luke 10:2

It was a humbling experience to hand a family one or two grocery bags of food when they have a 3-6 person family to feed and walk back into my house and see my pantry full. This project made me realize that I live very comfortably. It also made me feel challenged to become a volunteer on a regular basis and to be more involved with community activities.