ALLAPATTAH, Fla. – With an increase in housing, fuel and food costs, the YMCA of South Florida has opened a new food pantry to help struggling families overcome food insecurity.
With support from Bank of America, the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County and The American Healthy Weight Alliance, The YMCA of South Florida opened “La Bodega” last month. The community food pantry is located at 2370 NW 17 Avenue, in the Village of Allapattah YMCA.
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“There are those in our community that continue to face hardship and economic crises, and with that, comes food insecurity,” said YMCA South Florida CEO Sheryl Woods. “Every day, we work to strengthen the foundations of our community by addressing critical needs. Food insecurity is a real need where families, children and the elderly have limited or uncertain access to adequate food. Thanks to the support of our partners, we can change the trajectory of food insecurity in this community.”
According to the Florida Department of Health, in 2019, the food insecurity rate in Miami-Dade County was 16.1%, significantly above the state’s 12% average rate. Food security is associated with chronic health problems in adults, including diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.
La Bodega is open to Allapattah residents weekdays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Aside from providing food resources, other services available include healthy food education, healthy cooking demonstrations, food home deliveries, dietician services, a community refrigerator with access to prepared food at all hours and access to the YMCA Health Navigation Program.
To learn more about YMCA of South Florida services, visit www.ymcasouthflorida.org