Gainesville, Fla. – Catholic Charities Gainesville Regional Office is seeking food, gift cards, and monetary donations to aid those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
All of the office’s usual programs are fully operational but modified to adapt to the current situation. The Catholic Charities Gainesville Food Pantry is located at 1701 NE 9th Street, Gainesville (32609), and is currently open to the public for food distribution Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Thanks to a recent donation of masks and gloves from Catholic Charities USA, the Gainesville office can safely distribute food to those in need using proper social distancing guidelines. People are encouraged to come to the pantry to pick up food.
“It is scary not having enough money to put food on the table or to pay rent. We have seen many new faces, people who have never asked for help before, and who never thought they’d be in this position to need help. The primary need has been for financial assistance, for those who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19, and clients are afraid of losing their homes,” said John Barli, regional director of the Catholic Charities Gainesville office.
The Gainesville Regional office distributes approximately 12,500 pounds of food per month and also provides financial assistance for rent, mortgages, utilities, and prescriptions.
Catholic Charities Gainesville is especially seeking kid-friendly foods for children in the community who relied on their school for breakfast and lunch. While monetary donations provide a full range of assistance, they will accept gift cards from Walmart, Target, Winn-Dixie, and Publix, as well as the following kid-friendly food items:
- Canned meat
- Ravioli
- Vegetables
- Beans
- Soup
- Snack-size pudding & Jello-O
- Juice boxes
- Fruit chews
- Macaroni & cheese
- Crackers
- Raisins
- Applesauce
Donations and gift cards can be dropped off to the Gainesville Regional Office (1701 NE 9th Street, 32609) Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monetary donations can also be made online by visiting www.catholiccharitiesgainesville.org.
It is important to note that the CARES Act allows taxpayers to deduct up to $300 in charitable donations from your taxable income for donations made in 2020. This deduction can be claimed on your 2021 tax forms without going through the process of itemizing.
To learn more about Catholic Charities Gainesville, call (352) 372-0294.