Broward County’s Leading Social Service Agencies Unite to Save Cross Road Food Bank From Imminent Closure

FT. LAUDERDALE – Broward County’s leading Social Service agencies have announced an emergency effort to save Fort Lauderdale’s Cross Road Food Bank, in an “unprecedented” cooperative effort to rescue this critical community resource.

The Children’s Services Council of Broward County, working through the Million Meals Committee and its network of over 75 Broward food assistance, child and senior support programs, along with partners that include the Coordinating Council of Broward, the Florida Department of Children and Families, Volunteer Broward, Broward Meals on Wheels and scores of other local nonprofit groups, have committed to immediately raise the necessary funds to allow Cross Road Food Bank to continue operations and maintain their existing programs.

The parties will also collaborate to provide future volunteer support, grantwriting services, infrastructure and board development and long-term strategic planning efforts that will ensure Cross Road’s success in the months, and years, to come.

Cross Road Food Bank, which has operated one of the county’s largest Food Pantries and Food Banks for the past eight years, is facing imminent closure if it is unable to raise the necessary funds to allow it to continue operations.

Thousands of individuals and families and over one hundred local shelters, pantries, churches, faith-based outreach organizations and emergency feeding sites, will face a devastating loss of food supplies in the event of its closure.

This crisis is the result of an overwhelming increase in demand for services and the unanticipated loss of a number of grants and funding streams in the first half of 2010 – losses equal to more than one-quarter of the organization’s annual operating budget.

Initial fundraiser Planned for August 11th at Broward College

On Wednesday, August 11, 2010, the Coordinating Council of Broward’s Human Services Fair, held at Broward College’s Omni Auditorium, 1000 Coconut Creek Boulevard, Coconut Creek, Florida, will benefit Cross Road Food Bank. The event, a networking and sharing event for front line professionals in human services agencies serving Broward County, includes an exhibitor Expo from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and Workshops from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The admission fee is a donation of a non-perishable food item or grocery gift Card, which will go to Cross Road Food Bank. In addition, there will be a 50-50 raffle held at 3:00 p.m. Each raffle ticket will cost one dollar, and 50% of proceeds will go to Cross Road Food Bank with the remaining 50% going to the raffle winner.

Additional fundraising events and support activities are in the planning stages.