By Tracy Louthain
The annual U.S. Household Food Security Report recently released from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service stated that the three-year average percentage of households in Florida with food insecurity for 2021-2023 was 10.4%.
To help combat this statistic in Destin, Fla., the team at Newman-Dailey raised $35,569 and 4,479 food items for the company’s second fundraising effort and donation for the Harvest House of Destin to help fight hunger and support Destin families in need.
“We’re excited to partner with the Harvest House of Destin for a second year in a row for our 2024 community service project,” said Newman-Dailey’s Founder and CEO Jeanne Dailey.
“Due to the incredible impact, we had last year on hard-working families in need in the Destin community, our team wanted to support Harvest House again. We learned that our 2023 fundraiser was their largest to date and allowed them to serve more than 750 families and fill 2,300 bags of food!”
Harvest House is one of the longest operating non-profit organizations in the Destin area. Established in 1987 by Jerry Ogle with his wife, Claire, the Harvest House was founded to share food with the hungry, which helped the local fishing community get through the long, cold winter.
Staying true to the vision, the Harvest House Food Pantry & Thrift Store has continued regular operations for more than 36 years. Today, they serve the needs of the working poor, especially the elderly and families who have been impacted by unexpected life changes. From baby formula and diapers to meals and toiletries to clothing at the Thrift Store, the Harvest House bridges the gap between a family’s fixed income and their actual needs.
Knowing that this year would be potentially more difficult for fundraising, Newman-Dailey team members from all Newman-Dailey divisions, including Vacation Rentals/Property Management, Real Estate Sales and Association Management, began reaching out to friends, family, homeowners, vendors and clients to fundraise and gather food items.
The team focused on weekly food drive competitions gathering items ranging from breakfast—cereals, oatmeal, and breakfast bars, to dinner—pastas, sauces, and can goods. Through the team’s competitive spirit, the team gathered 1,921 more food items than the 2023 food drive.
When the drive was complete, Newman-Dailey team members surprised Executive Director Lori Joyner, Founder Jerry Ogle and Chairman Jason Belcher with a big check for $35,569, which was the result of 122 online donations as well as Newman-Dailey’s corporate contribution. In just two years, Team Newman-Dailey has been able to raise $74,065 for the cause.
“We didn’t know how much we would be able to raise this year with the current economy and it being an election year, but we agreed, even if we could only reach our original goal of $15,000, it would make a difference,” said Newman-Dailey Fundraising Captain Lisa Morgan.
“We’re highly competitive and we love helping people so it’s the perfect recipe to drive success. Seeing Jason, Lori, and Jerry’s reaction to the food and donations and being able to help families when they need it most was so rewarding!”
Over the last 36 years, Harvest House has served more than 115K+ people; passed out 346K+ bags of food; and given more than $425K worth of clothing to families in need in the Destin area.
Located at 300 Mountain Drive, Destin, Harvest House is open Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to noon. Learn more at http://harvesthousedestin.org . For more information on Newman-Dailey Resort Properties visit NewmanDailey.com
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