CLEWISTON – Harry Chapin Food Bank has launched its first Smart Food Locker Program in Clewiston, introducing an innovative way for residents of Hendry and Glades counties facing hunger to access nutritious food at a time that works for them. The new refrigerated lockers, located at The Joseph Project 863, are among a small number of similar food bank initiatives nationwide.

The program allows neighbors to reserve groceries online and retrieve approximately 20 pounds of food from a secure, refrigerated locker during designated pickup hours. With 16 individual compartments, the system provides a convenient alternative for working families, caregivers and others who may have difficulty visiting traditional food distributions.

"This is the first project of its kind for Harry Chapin Food Bank and one of only a handful across the country," said Richard LeBer, president and CEO of Harry Chapin Food Bank. "We're excited about what this means for our neighbors. They can request food, reserve a locker and pick up nutritious groceries privately and securely, at a time that works for them. It's another way we're removing barriers and making food more accessible."

The lockers are located at The Joseph Project, 944 Harlem Academy Ave. in Clewiston. The Harry Chapin Food Bank agency partner, which serves residents of Hendry and Glades counties, already helps provide food to more than 1,000 neighbors monthly through its distributions. The new locker system will extend that reach by providing additional opportunities to access food outside regular distribution hours.

"Thank you to everybody at Harry Chapin Food Bank and the Hendry County commissioners who allow us to use this facility," said Jacqueline Young, social services specialist with The Joseph Project 863. "Thank you to all the people in town who donate and everybody who sponsors and supports us."

That convenience is already making a difference for Ida Williams, the first person to receive food through the new system.

"It's so convenient," Williams said. "I like to get my stuff and go. Put my information in the machine, just like that. Get my stuff and go."

The Clewiston installation is part of a two-site Smart Food Locker initiative that also includes a planned location at Gladiolus Food Pantry in the Harlem Heights community of Fort Myers. Together, the locations will feature 32 refrigerated compartments, with the goal of expanding access to more than 320 additional neighbors and distributing more than 40,000 pounds of food monthly.

The locker equipment and installation were funded through a $62,273 Rural Infrastructure Grant from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). Harry Chapin Food Bank provides the food, coordinates transportation, stocks the lockers and manages ongoing operations in partnership with local organizations. The initiative reflects Harry Chapin Food Bank's continued investment in innovative solutions to hunger, strengthening its network of agency partners while providing neighbors with more ways to access nutritious food throughout Southwest Florida.