NAPLES – Meals of Hope, the largest food pantry provider in Southwest Florida, has announced plans to use a $68,000 grant from Empty Bowls Naples to expand its mobile food pantry outreach.

“We appreciate Empty Bowls’ innovative efforts to raise hunger awareness and support within our community,” said Meals of Hope President and CEO Stephen Popper. “This grant will help us add an additional mobile food pantry location to better serve more families in our community.”

Empty Bowls Naples is a fundraiser held annually on the last Saturday in January that benefits local organizations that provide food to those in need.

Meals of Hope provides a total of 12 food pantries – including five mobile pantries – throughout Collier and Lee Counties to distribute fresh and nutritious food to approximately 1,000 families each week. Additional services and summer meal programs serve more than 10,000 Southwest Florida residents each month.

With the help of more than 25,000 volunteers, Meals of Hope packed 8.5 million meals in 2018 at events in Southwest Florida and throughout the United States.

As a partner agency with the Harry Chapin Food Bank, Meals of Hope distributes more than 2 million pounds of food each year as it fulfills its mission of inspiring and empowering communities to come together to end hunger. Established in 2007, Meals of Hope is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit organization.

To learn more, visit www.mealsofhope.org or call 800-985-7698.