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Suncoast Harvest Food Bank

Elks Lodge opens drive-thru food pantry

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What Donna Moyer misses most is the children filing into the cafeteria, laughing, playing and sitting down to enjoy lunch.

“We have a big party,” said Moyer, past Exalted Ruler at the Elks Lodge 2731, in Zephyrhills. “It’s a big deal. This year with all this extra nonsense, we can’t.”

COVID-19 upended the typical Feed the Kids Program, a free summer lunch and literacy program.

A young girl wrote a handmade thank you card to the volunteers who distribute free lunches at the Elks Lodge. (Courtesy of Donna Moyer)

This year, Moyer, and 10 to 15 volunteers, wave to children in the backseat of cars as their parents pull into a drive-thru food pantry organized at the lodge, at 6851 Wire Road.

Five days a week from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the volunteers hand out about 100 free lunches prepared daily at Zephyrhills’ restaurant, Tubby’s Q and Smokehouse.

The restaurant is the first participant in Operation Feed Pasco, a collaboration between the Pasco County Commission, United Way of Pasco County, Thomas Promise Foundation and the Elks Lodge.

The initiative has a dual purpose: To bolster area food pantries and help restaurants that took a financial loss from the COVID-19 shutdown.

A nonprofit, Harper Valley Son’s Food Pantry based in Wesley Chapel, is independently providing boxes of vegetables, pre-cooked meat, fruit and milk to parents who come to the Elks Lodge.

Joe Simmons, left, executive director of the Thomas Promise Foundation, and Robert ‘Cowboy’ Harper, founder of Harper Valley Son’s Food Pantry, discuss food distribution standing beside a food truck Harper drove to the Elks Lodge. (Kathy Steele)

On Wednesdays, the Elks Lodge also gives out bags filled with craft activities and books to boost reading skills.

On Fridays, Thomas Promise provides meals to carry families through the weekend.

Thomas Promise’s mission is to feed hungry children in Pasco. It typically serves 1,600 students in more than 25 schools, but this year the need is greater because of COVID-19.

The nonprofit is a longtime supporter of the Elks Lodge, so coming together for Operation Feeding Pasco was a natural fit.

“I immediately thought of Elks Lodge because that’s exactly what we do,” said Joe Simmons, executive director of Thomas Promise.

When Moyer realized the Elks Lodge members had to reinvent an on-site program now in its sixth year, she stayed up nights wondering if they could pull it off.

But, Moyer said, “We just kind of got it all together.”

The Elks Lodge is one of many nonprofits and food banks that is helping families that are struggling to pay bills, put food on the table and stay safe during the pandemic.

Even as businesses begin to reopen in Florida, and more people are venturing out to shops and restaurants — a great need for help continues.

Before COVID-19, Feeding Tampa Bay distributed food in its 10-county region to about 600,000 “food insecure” individuals. Since the shutdown, that number has more than doubled, to about 1.3 million.

“The need is continuing to climb,” said Shannon Hannon Oliviero, external affairs officer for Feeding Tampa Bay.

Volunteers Harriett Hinton, left, and Ilene Nutting put together craft bags. Nutting, a former day care worker, organizes the giveaway for the Elks Lodge. (Kathy Steele)

The nonprofit began opening drive-thru food banks, known as “mega-pantries,” in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee, Polk and Pasco counties.

One mega-pantry now operates at Pasco High School in Dade City.

Volunteers with Make a Difference, a nonprofit in Dade City, distribute food supplied by Feeding Tampa Bay every Thursday from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at 36850 State Road 52 in Dade City.

Oliviero said an early survey completed after the shutdown revealed about 70% of those coming to food banks were doing so for the first time in their lives.

Many had either lost their jobs or are on furlough, she said.

She said the help will continue.

“We’re going to be here for as long as needed. That’s what we’re here for,” Oliviero said.

About 700 food bags were given away at the first drive-thru at Pasco High, said Larry Guilford, founder of Make a Difference.

“One woman cried while driving through,” he said. “That’s when we know we’re doing the right thing. That’s telling us it’s needed.”

Volunteers bagged up lunch meals prepared by Tubby Q’s and Smokehouse, a Zephyrhills restaurant participating in Operation Feed Pasco. (Kathy Steele)

The same community spirit abounds at the Elks Lodge. Volunteers arrive around 7:30 a.m. Duties include bagging the days’ meals, snacks and crafts. On some days they also prepare frozen meals, such as pancakes and sausage, meat subs and spaghetti. Those are kept in the freezers for use as needed, said Moyer.

On average about 100 meals are distributed for the summer program, but on one recent day about 150 meals were handed out, she said.

“Thank you,” is the phrase of the day, as parents and children accept the food bags.

“It’s an amazing resource,” said Kimberly Mahon, who drove through with her children, ages 3 and 7.

Brad Odell, a Wesley Chapel High School teacher, drove through with his family — but also took home food packages for neighbors unable to leave their home.

“It helps me,” he said, adding, “but I have neighbors that are elderly, and a woman with five children. I try to help out as many people as possible. It makes me feel good.”

Area food banks/pantries
Here is a partial list of food banks operating in Pasco. (Please call ahead to be sure the pantry is open and to find out its hours of operation):

Food Pantry at Emmanuel Ministries
12639 Candlewood Drive, Dade City
For information on hours, call (813) 713-0305.

Farmworker’s Self-Help
37240 Lock St., Dade City
Provides fresh fruit, meats, dairy and more
For information, call (352) 567-1432.

Neighborhood Care Center
5140 Sixth St., Zephyrhills
This nonregional, nonprofit offers free groceries and hot meals
For information, call (813) 780-6822.

Life Community Center
6542 Applewood St., Wesley Chapel
For information, call (813) 994-0685.

Christian Social Services
5514 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes
For information, call (813) 995-0088.

Suncoast Harvest Food Bank
5829 Ehren Cutoff Road, Land O’ Lakes
Open third Saturday of the month
For information, call (813) 929-0200.

St. Vincent De Paul
Serves various locations in Pasco
For information, call the district office at (727) 868-8160.

Father and Son Love Ministries
21418 Carson Drive, Land O’ Lakes
Operates a food pantry on Tuesdays, from noon to 2 p.m.; Fridays, from noon to 3 p.m.; and on Sundays, starting at 12:30 p.m.
For information, call (813) 383-8410.

Helping Hands, a food pantry at Atonement Lutheran Church
29617 State Road 54, Wesley Chapel
Call (813) 756-8866 to find out when it is open.

Daystar Hope Center
15512 U.S. 301, Dade City
Call (352) 523-0844 to find out when it is open.

Published June 17, 2020

Her career touched many lives

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Officially, Betsy Crisp’s last day of work was Feb. 3.

But, based on her track record, it seems unlikely that the Land O’ Lakes woman will merely kick back and relax.

Betsy Crisp and her friends, colleagues and family members celebrated her retirement with a buffet of finger foods and a beautifully decorated cake. The celebration was at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.
(B.C. Manion)

Crisp retired after 29 years as the food and consumer sciences extension agent for the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences – Pasco Cooperative Extension.

She is the woman who crisscrossed Pasco County preaching the gospel of good nutrition. She helped people to navigate through bureaucratic systems. She used elbow grease when a job needed to be done.

Crisp helped nurses learn how to balance the demands of their work and daily home life.

She taught classes on cooking with herbs and spices.

She provided pointers for stretching a food dollar.

She helped launch Pasco County’s first residential recycling program, and was on the ground floor 20 years ago establishing the Suncoast Harvest Food Bank, which is now part of Feeding Tampa Bay.

Over the years, Crisp’s work drew attention.

She was named the southern region’s Continued Excellence Award winner in 2013 for her many accomplishments on the job.

Colleagues, friends and family members dropped by to celebrate with Betsy Crisp, as she leaves a career spanning nearly 30 years as food and consumer sciences extension agent for Pasco Cooperative Extension. Crisp, center, laughs with her friends, as her brother, K.C. Nayfield (right), listens.

The licensed dietitian was honored for the nearly 150 programs she presented each year in the areas of food, nutrition, health and safety.

Her Family Nutrition Program also secured grant funding to support several program assistants and many volunteers, helping more than 136,000 people improve their eating habits.

That award was among numerous honors she picked up over the years.

She deserved the recognition because her work got results, said friends and colleagues who attended her retirement reception at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.

“Betsy has always gone above and beyond. She set high standards for herself and carried a very full workload,” said Mary Chernesky, former director of the Hillsborough County Cooperative Extension Office.

A proposal Crisp co-wrote in 2007 for the USDA SnapEd Family Nutrition Program received funding for $160,000 a year, and the funding has since escalated to almost $400,000 a year, said Chernesky, who is now retired.

“Betsy has helped people, counseled them, shared her knowledge, made a difference in people’s lives in the county and state,” Chernesky added.

Crisp paid attention to what her peers were doing, and when she recognized a program of excellence, she nominated it for an award.

“Many extension agents across the state have received recognition and awards, over the years … because when Betsy found programs that were good enough to be considered for nomination, she did it. Sometimes we didn’t even know it had been sent in,” Chernesky said.

Kurt Conover, who spoke at Crisp’s party, said he met Betsy about 30 years ago.

That’s when Crisp suggested that Land O’ Lakes get involved in the Coastal and Waterway Cleanup, Conover said.

He said Crisp told him: “Land O’ Lakes should get involved in that. We’ve got lots of lakes here.”

So, the pair became co-captains, and they organized the largest volunteer effort of any site in Pasco County, Conover said.

Conover said he handled the easy part: Getting donations of supplies and food for the cleanup crews.

Crisp took care of the logistics. She made sure that cleanup teams weren’t duplicating efforts.

Besides cleaning up the community, the annual effort has encouraged community involvement, Conover said.

It has had a generational impact, too, he said.

“There were children who came to this event that grew up to be adults, and they had their children there, participating,” Conover said.

He also noted that Crisp’s husband, Paul, and the couple’s children, Megan and Michael, were always there to pitch in.

Besides delivering at the professional level, Crisp is known for her personal touch, friends and colleagues said.

She remembers birthdays.

She asks about sick relatives.

She celebrates her colleagues’ joys and helps them shoulder their sorrows.

Crisp said her achievements came because of the people she was able to work with throughout her career.

At her reception, she made it a point to go around the room calling out people by name and publicly thanking them for their help. She had a kind word for practically everyone — if not everyone — in the room.

Crisp said she loved every minute of her career — except when she had to cut her staff because of budget reductions.

“I cried,” she said.

But, Crisp managed to keep her emotions in check at her retirement party.

One colleague, however, could not.

Her voice broke, as she bid farewell to Crisp — her trusted mentor and friend, someone she knows she will dearly miss.

Published February 15, 2017