St. Matthew’s House food distributions will continue in LaBelle, Immokalee and at the Golden Gate Senior Center. However, on May 6, St. Matthew’s House will transition to a National Best Practice model for food pantries that Feeding America endorses. With this model, qualified individuals and families can choose from a range of fresh meats, fruits and vegetables, as well as staples at the St. Matthew’s House Food and Emergency Assistance Warehouse, 4535 Domestic Ave. in Collier County.
Residents can arrive at designated times to select the items they prefer. Recipients will be qualified using their address, number of people in the household, frequency of their visits and a maximum dollar value per visit. This model will provide more comprehensive, personalized assistance to better serve individuals and families struggling with food insecurity, officials from the nonprofit said.
St. Matthew’s House also is adding a Community Services Center at the Food and Emergency Assistance Warehouse location to assist with other issues that food pantry clients may face.
The Community Services Center will have available representatives from other agencies a few days a week to offer food assistance clients additional assistance with job-seeking, financial literacy, nutrition, menu planning and more. Clients also will be able to access a community computer.
St. Matthew’s House Food and Emergency Assistance Warehouse pantry hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Individuals can pre-qualify by clicking here or by calling 239-774-0500, extension 307.
