Started by Bay Life Church, Brandon, in 2006, their people left church early on the Sunday before Thanksgiving and, with preprinted grocery lists in hand, headed to designated grocery stores to purchase items for local food banks.  Trucks parked outside the stores served as collection sites.  One after another members of the congregation brought cart after cart full of food to the trucks.  Children were with their parents, unloading bag after bag as active participants in the gift.  In the stores, long lines formed with very cheerful people-store employees, convinced their absent coworkers wouldn’t believe them, took pictures.  All told, they collected 30,000 pounds of food that day.  The food was then delivered to local charitable organization’s to stock their shelves. In 2008, there were 15 local churches and 12 food agencies involved.

 

In 2009, there were 33 local churches and 13 food agencies that particpated and we were able to deliver 307,000 lbs of food and over $9500 in store gift cards.

 

In 2010, there were 35 churches and 13 local food agencies that participated and we collected  127,000 lbs of food and over $4600 in store gift cards.

 

In 2011, there were 33 local churches 11 food agencies that collected 129,193 lbs. of food and over $9000.00 in store gift cards.

 

In the total 6 FTB events= 815,193 lbs of food has been collected and distributed back into our community’s food agencies.

 

We are 190,000 lbs from reaching 1 million pounds of food!!!