Creative Kids founder Cameron Kise is challenging the community to support families facing food insecurity after SNAP benefit delays
The nonprofit will match up to $25,000 of monetary donations made to this year’s Turkey Drive. Donate here. The idea started after Kise saw how food insecurity rose during the government shutdown and the pause to SNAP benefits. Watch the video below to hear about Creative Kids’ new effort and their message to the community. DONATE NOW: Local student issues $25K Turkey Drive match challenge
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The need to feed families is rising across the Big Bend region, and the community is responding with generous support for ABC 27’s annual Turkey Drive.
ABC 27 and Second Harvest of the Big Bend hope to collect 1,000 turkeys and raise $50,000 to help families across our region ahead of Thanksgiving.
Our annual Turkey Drive is now in its 12th year, and every donation matters. This season, the need is even greater. SNAP benefits were paused at the start of the month, and Second Harvest says that change has pushed many families into tougher situations as the holidays approach.
That is why this year’s goal is to collect 1,000 frozen turkeys and raise $50,000 in monetary donations.
Neighbors are stepping up in big ways, including some of the youngest members of our community. 16-year-old Maclay School student Cameron Kise, founder of the nonprofit Creative Kids, says he saw the struggle families are facing and knew he wanted to do something.
This is not the first time he has mobilized to help. In 2020, Cameron and his sister launched a matching donation effort to support families impacted by COVID.
Now, he is doing it again. Creative Kids will match every dollar donated to the Turkey Drive up to $25,000 to challenge the community to get involved and give.
“So the loss of SNAP funding made me realize that there are a lot of kids at risk, and I wanted to help change that. More than 30,000 families just in Leon County rely on the SNAP program, so there really are a lot of kids facing food insecurity, and there is no reason that any person in our community should go hungry,” Kise said.
Second Harvest of the Big Bend says hunger is still a serious challenge across our region. One in four children in their service area is food insecure. One in six adults faces food insecurity. The region includes five of the most food insecure counties in Florida, and rural communities continue to face the greatest barriers. More than 96,000 people in our region rely on SNAP benefits to meet their basic food needs.
Second Harvest says community support is critical this year, especially with families feeling the impact of delayed benefits every time they go to the grocery store.
If you want to help, there are a couple of ways to get involved. You can drop off a turkey on Thursday, November 21, from 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Bannerman Crossing or at Ponce de Leon Park. You can also make a monetary donation online at wtxl.tv.
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