Not your grandmother's Goodwill: Manasota store is new prototype for area

Young people giving back

Published: March 6, 2013

Palmetto High School Future Farmers of America members and agriculture students sort through donated food Tuesday morning as they complete handing out their first ton of food at the Church of Hope in Palmetto. The students grew and gathered donations from November to March totaling over one ton of food through FFA's Food for All program. "We handed out food for 165 families today. It is such an amazing thing to see young people give back," said Julie D.Tillett, PHS Agriculture / FFA advisor. GRANT JEFFERIES/Bradenton Herald

GJEFFERIES@BRADENTON.COM Buy Photo

During a National FFA Convention, 10 Palmetto High students learned about another chapter's work through the "Food for All" grant to help fight hunger. The Palmetto Agriculture students and FFA members decided to take action here. They contacted The Hope Center, a local food pantry that currently serves 175 families throughout Manatee County. They had a canned-food drive and collected 639 pounds along with 1,000 pounds of potatoes from Take a Break Cafe. In January they won a $2,500 grant from Food for All, which will be used to improve their garden and host workshops in the community on how to grow herb and vegetable gardens.

Order Reprint Back to Top

< Previous Story