Albertsons Grant to Help Feed More Empty Little Tummies in Manatee

BRADENTON -- A $5,000 grant from Albertsons supermarket will help Elks Lodge 1511 and their Feeding Empty Little Tummies (E.F.E.L.T.) charity add another Manatee County elementary school to their mission of providing backpacks of food to homeless Manatee County students for weekend susistence. Mike App, manager of the Albertson's store at 75th Street and Manatee Avenue West presented the check at an Elks meeting last night.

From left, Mike App presents a check on behalf of Albertsons to Jane Evers and Elks 1511 Exalted Ruler Jeff Mitchell

A $5,000 grant from Albertsons supermarket will help Elks Lodge 1511 and their Feeding Empty Little Tummies (E.F.E.L.T.) charity add another Manatee County elementary school to their mission of providing backpacks of food to homeless Manatee County students for weekend sustenance. Mike App, manager of the Albertsons store at 75th Street and Manatee Avenue West presented the check at an Elks meeting last night.

E.F.E.L.T. had already been providing backpacks to Abel Elementary students and will now add Sea Breeze Elementary to its cause. Founder Jane Evers, who got the idea to start the program when she read of a similar charity in North Florida, said that the proximity of Sea Breeze to the 1511 post allowed the recently operational organization to add a second school without overextending its ability to meet the needs of all homeless students.

Of the nearly 1,500 homeless children in Manatee County, more than 1,350 are enrolled in local schools. The organization hopes to ultimately end the epidemic problem of local students who do not have access to regular food sources outside of the school lunch program. At a cost of over $300 per student, per year the logistics are daunting.

"These kids are showing up at school on Monday morning sometimes without having had a thing to eat since their school lunch on Friday," said Evers. "They're coming into the nurse's office with headaches and stomach aches and getting aspirin. It just breaks your heart."

In addition to the monetary contribution Albertsons effort will also include helping the charity obtain food supplies at reduced prices. Anyone interested in helping with the effort can click here to make a monetary donation through the Elk's 1511 website or contact Jane at 941.748.8804 to discuss other ways they might help.