20 Oct Feeding the Gulf Coast

Posted at 09:51h in 2025, Feeding the Gulf Coast, Health & Wellness, Nonprofit by

Feeding the Gulf coast

Nutrition Equals Seniors Thriving

Grant Year: 2025 | Focus Area: Health & Wellness| Grant Amount: $103,500 Grant Status: In progress

Feeding the Gulf Coast is a highly efficient nonprofit, whose mission is to fight hunger through community partnerships and programs, by creating access to nutritious food for those facing crisis, poverty, or disaster. Founded in 1981 and a partner of Feeding America since 1988, it has distributed nearly 460 million pounds of food across 24 counties in Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. In 2024 alone, it provided 35 million meals through over 800 partners. The organization relies on food drives and volunteers—393,900 pounds of food and $76,400 in donations were collected through drives in 2024, while 22,000 volunteers contributed over 196,450 hours, saving $2.9 million in labor costs. The organization holds a four-star Charity Navigator rating, with over 98% of donations going directly to its purpose and is ranked among the most efficient nonprofits in the nation. Federal funding supports the Commodity Supplemental Food Program for low-income seniors, yet funding is limited such that only 71 Escambia County seniors are currently served with zero currently served in Santa Rosa County. 

OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT

Ensuring access to healthy food for all is essential for health and well-being, yet many seniors face financial and mobility barriers that limit their access. Feeding the Gulf Coast seeks to partner with IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area to build capacity for and expand the senior nutrition program “NEST” (Nutrition Equals Seniors Thriving), in Santa Rosa and Escambia Counties. By reducing logistical and financial barriers to food access, the NEST program alleviates hunger to help mitigate chronic health conditions prevalent among seniors, such as hypertension and diabetes. Food boxes, curated to meet these unique dietary needs, will be delivered directly to locations where seniors live and/or congregate. To further upgrade the program’s distribution abilities, a new high-capacity forklift with a tight turning radius and added safety features will allow for more warehouse maneuverability. IMPACT 100 funds will be used to purchase items for 2,100 NEST food boxes and a Raymond forklift with charger and warranty. This project embodies the transformative goal that IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay aims to achieve, fostering a healthier, more resilient population of seniors in the community. 

 

EXPECTED IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY

This project expands services to area seniors while also building capacity for Feeding the Gulf Coast in Escambia and Santa Rosa County to manage the food distribution process. Through NEST, a privately funded initiative, this project will provide Nutritious food boxes to 175 seniors each month for more than 12 months. By improving access to nutritious meals, NEST supports healthy aging, promotes independence, and enables seniors to allocate their limited resources to other essentials, such as housing concerns, medications and medical care. Beyond nourishment, this program removes logistical and mobility barriers, ensuring Pensacola Bay Area seniors receive critical food without additional hardship. The upgraded forklift increases carrying capacity by 25% while also touting a smaller footprint. The increased maneuverability will allow the Feeding the Gulf Coast Milton facility to store more products in less space, providing more flexibility in distribution storage to continue to fight area hunger. 

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