Random Acts Of Kindness Day: Help Feed Neighbors In Polk County

POLK COUNTY, FL — Random Acts of Kindness Day, set this year for Wednesday, Feb. 17, sees an amplified importance in 2021 as people in Polk County and throughout the world continue to struggle with the coronavirus pandemic that is now more than 11 months old.

Among the ways to make a difference on Random Acts of Kindness Day this year is to make sure your neighbors in Polk County have enough to eat.

For about 111,000 people in Polk County, food budgets are stretched thin from job losses, business closures and other economic havoc wrought by the pandemic. That’s according to a projection by Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization, which notes that as many as 50 million Americans faced food insecurity at 2020’s end.

You can help with a tax-deductible contribution to Feeding America, which says the economic fallout of the pandemic has sent millions of Americans to food banks for the first time. For every $1 you give, Feeding America is able to provide 10 meals through its network of 200 food banks that serve and supply 60,000 food pantries, kitchens and meal programs.

If you’re among those struggling to find enough food — or if you want to volunteer — here are some resources here in Polk County:

• Feeding Tampa Bay — 4702 Transport Dr., Bldg. 6, Tampa
• Seed Sowers Evangelistic Association — 1745 Olive Street, Lakeland
• St. Josephs Catholic Church — 210 W. Lemon Street, Lakeland
• Lighthouse Ministries, Hope Center — 215 E Magnolia Street, Lakeland
• Elder Ministries of Greater Lakeland — 801 S. Florida Avenue, Lakeland

Random Acts of Kindness Day traces back to 1995 and the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, a small nonprofit based in Denver. It was then adopted in New Zealand in 2004, according to DaysOfTheYear.com, and has since been celebrated all over the world as a way to help others in simple ways.

It is held on Feb. 17 every year regardless of what day of the week it falls on, the National Day Calendar shows.

Patch has partnered with Feeding America to help raise awareness on behalf of the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimated that by the end of 2020, more than 50 million Americans will not have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.