- April 26, 2024
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What started off as a conversation between Ormond Beach resident Cydney Reagan and her friend last week soon exploded into a community food drive with over 1,500 bags of food.
With the worries surrounding Ormond Beach due to COVID-19, they talked about ways to help the kids who would no longer be receiving meals at school. Reagan, who owns Reagan's Realty, reached out to her contacts, and the initiative grew from there. In one week, she received $5,000 in cash donations, plus so many food items, she was able to fill a room in her firm's office.
“People just did what they could," Reagan said. "A lot of people were apologizing for $10, but what they don’t realize is $10 is 50 packs of ramen, and for the kids that don’t have any food, 50 packs of ramen is a lot.”
She held the food drive on Saturday, March 21, with the help of volunteers. Over 75 cars came to pickup groceries, she said. Each child received two bags, containing a breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as four snacks and a juice box.
Reagan was joined by the Daytona Dream Center, Calvary Christian Center's outreach extension. The nonprofit is one of two mobile food pantries in the county, said Tanysha Hartsgrove, of the Daytona Dream Center.
They provided the families who dropped by the food drive at Reagan's Realty with a bag full of food, which included cereal, bread, peanut butter and jelly.
“Our goal is to really partner with the community and reach more people together," Hartsgrove said.
On Monday, March 23, the Daytona Dream Center and Second Harvest Food Bank will be hosting a free food drop at Calvary Christian Center, which is located at 1687 W. Granada Blvd. Second Harvest will bring a semi-truck full of free groceries to distribute. The food drop is open to any Volusia County resident.
Hartsgrove said the heart of Calvary Christian Center is outreach. Everyone has a role to play when it comes to spreading love through actions, she said, and only through coming together will the community have everything it needs.
“It’s important because there are some people who feel like they’re alone, and with so many people around, nobody should ever feel like they’re alone," Hartsgrove said.
If you have the ability to help, Reagan said, you should do so. Many people won't reach out for support and that's where the community needs to step up, she added.
“Whatever that means — whether it’s money, time, supplies," Reagan said. "It takes a village.”
