Resolution 25013 commending Gracie's Food Pantry

25:37Chairman Mariano. Yes, I wanted to pull this because I I really wanted to recognize um matter of fact, Ed and Gracie, come on up, please.

25:47I wanna r to recognize Gracious Pantry. They they do a phenomenal job for us seniors. Um I got this first experience probably a couple of months ago and I just wanted to at that point uh bring them forward just to show the show everybody what they're doing. And uh fortunately I think the rest of the board has now seen what they've been doing as we've been going through this and uh Um again it just I I I can't tell you how many tim how much I appreciate what you do for our seniors every step of the way. And I told you I want to try to give as much help as I can. So I think uh starting with the recognition is probably a good way to go.

26:17Clerk has a resolution. Uh resolution number 25013, a resolution by the Board of County Commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, commending Gracie's food pantry for their service to the citizens of Pasco County. Whereas Gracie's food pantry was founded by Gracie

26:43Oh.

26:44Good.

26:45In twenty thirteen and since then has successfully up opened six pantries and feeds approximately two thousand to twenty five hundred people per month. And whereas Gracie's food pantry provides high quality, nutritious food at no cost to those struggling with Wide range of issues. and whereas Gracie's food pantry depends on volunteers to help sort, pack and distribute food and relies on sponsorships from local businesses to help alleviate or alleviate operating costs.

27:16Those sponsors also provide information to patrons regarding health benefits, pharmaceutical benefits, medical offices, home improvements, and more. And whereas Gracie's food pantry values the lives of everyone who comes to receive food. All their pantries are set up to provide a dignified shopping experience where the patron can choose the items that they would like to bring home. And whereas since twenty thirteen, Gracie's food pantry has fed approximately fifty one thousand Excuse me,

27:46eight hundred and forty people, not including additional families, and the homeless population. and has been recognized by several organizations such as the Pasco County Chamber of Commerce.

28:00Mm-hmm. Excuse me. M West Pasco Board of Realtors.

28:10And whereas Gracie's food pantry has a mission to alleviate hunger and foster food security. In the community. By providing healthy and nutritious food, essential resources, and supportive services to seniors, veterans, and families in need. And whereas Gracie's food pantry believes that everyone deserves to have access to food that nourishes their body and they are committed to creating a community where no one goes hungry. Now

28:40therefore be it resolved by the Board of County Commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, that said Board hereby commends Gracie's food pantry for their service to the citizens of Pasco County, done and resolved in regular session with a quorum president voting this twenty second day of October, twenty twenty four. Move approval.

28:59Okay. Okay.

29:00Got a motion and a second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Motion passed 5-0. Welcome. Thank you.

29:07Thank you very much.

29:07Mr. Chairman Mariano

29:12to give you an example, you know, I I went to their different places, they do the distributions of this at different places. I was amazed that it was so seamless and so well run. Um and the people are so appreciative of it. When I recently just came across them, um I was calling them 'cause I knew the Pasco Brave down in New Port Richey shutting down. So I gave 'em a call to go down and uh, you know, take a look at whatever you might need that what you can fit with your different pantries, uh, to make it all work. So they go down there and

29:42uh gonna say Grace outworked 'em. Loading up the truck. Uh she was she was phenomenal. She just like gets right in there and goes. Um when we got done, one of the things that was in there was they had a a pallet of produce, apples, ready to go. And uh he said to me, he says, I can't take those but you might want to call the volunteer way. So not only does he think of himself and what he's doing, but he wants to help Funnel it. And I'll I'll I will tell you that CEO came down. met with me probably like a half an hour later and

30:12we brought out the whole pallet. We had loaded the whole thing. Actually the and put my truck, but we dropped it all over to the volunteer way. It was gone the next day. So all those people get that extra nutrition from good healthy stuff because of your great thinking and give me a a great idea and um that CO to to jump on down the volunteer way to to make it all happen. But I I just can't thank you enough. I know it's I just seen you guys with your passion going through and I just wanted to recognize you and and show your appreciation and Just thank you for what you're doing.

30:40I'd like to add something too, if that's okay. Yes. I just want to say that I I had Ed on speed dial, and it didn't matter if it was eight o'clock at night. He would and Grace, if they would come and help serve 200 meals, and they were there in a hot second. So um also we spent several days together the entire day. We didn't know each other at all. And uh Ed would just open up his car and They would have tons of fresh, like you said, fresh food, water, supplies, and they are they are truly

31:10amazing. And Miss Grace. I found her her secret to her beauty regimen because she is absolutely gorgeous in her eighties and uh she outruns uh circles around Ed. So um just thank you guys for everything.

31:25Yeah.

31:26And uh I first met them at a Trinity Chat luncheon and um they were the featured Speakers I guess. So um and I was able to visit their the pantry yesterday And um what's the name of that location?

31:40That you were at uh Hacienda.

31:42Hacienda Village, yes. And um and on Thursday and holiday they will be providing um Their pantry and we're bringing, I think, 200 or 150 lunches. Oh my staff's not here. Yeah. So um uh so if you want to come over, if you haven't seen them in action, you can go from the dedication on Grand Boulevard over to Holiday Um Lakes to the clubhouse and um bring bring your own donations. I brought them some yesterday. I'm gonna bring more uh Thursday. So What a blessing you are to

32:12the community and and um I'm just so grateful. That you're doing what you do. Thank you.

32:18Thank you, Chairman Mariano. Fifty one thousand eight hundred and forty meals, that's probably Way short from what I'm hearing. I tell you. I mean It's God's work right there. Oh yeah. Without You all and your mission We'd be in a lot worse shape. Your organization and so many others that have stepped in to help people just get something to eat and and uh help them gather their thoughts before they figure out what their next steps in life are gonna be. So thank you for your

32:48love and your compassion and your care for Pasco County and for each other. So we're very grateful that you live here. Thank you.

32:55Yeah, I'd like to thank you for what you do for for your community and the people in your community, so When you work so hard, sometimes you get tired, but the reality of it is if you love your work It never f seems like a job, so I'm sure you love your work and you really help a lot of people in Pasco County and we certainly appreciate that. So thank you.

33:17If you would please tell a couple of stories about what you find when you're taking care of these seniors, what it means to them, some of the things you tell me about. It gets them through the next cycle from payments.

33:28Well um so many of them are so grateful. When when I first started the a food pantry, um I uh I was uh I went to my manager where I live and I said we need a food pantry and said, Did you ever run a food pantry before? I said no, but I learned. And the reason why I wanted to start it is there were uh several residents that were having crackers uh with water for breakfast. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, or yogurt, breakfast, young lunch and dinner, or whatever they could afford. Some of them even shared their pets food.

34:00And um I I felt that because the the append their social security didn't last them till the end of the month, I felt that if I could subsidize that time and give them something to eat, they could be healthy and stay longer. And they were my friends. And um I feel that everybody is my friend and I love them all. And um in all my in all my pantries. But I want Also say that without God we could not do any of this. Okay.

34:29Yeah, we uh we experienced we also help families on the s besides the pantries, they call us up and uh especially when families have uh young families have children. It's kind of heartbreaking to we we've been to this one uh young lady's house, she had three children. One was a little girl and uh I could hear her in the background a as we're talking on the phone with the grandmother. Please we need food, we need food. And I said to her, I said, Who who is that? She says, Oh that's that's my granddaughter. She's three years old.

35:00She says I didn't coach her to do that. She just knew I was calling a food pantry. So I said, Well you let her know that we're coming. And uh so we got together about nine bags of groceries, uh and uh we went to the house and here's this little blonde little girl, little chunky cheeks, you know, and oh thank you, thank you. It it it was heartbreaking because the young this young girl was happy to see bags of food as if they were toys. You know, that's how excited

35:30she was. And uh that's what that's what keeps us going. And yeah, I if it if it wasn't for uh God, um He guides us. We're just tools, you know, He helps us to go in the direction that we need to go. And with these past, as I said before, uh with these past two storms that passed by, um, the organization and the ability to To uh take the lead from the commissioners' offices and be able to guide us in the directions we need to go was extremely

36:00helpful. And we were able to feed and help so many people. Um, it didn't matter the age, it didn't matter where they came from, the fact of the matter is they went through a trauma. and we were there to help. So again I want to thank everyone here too.

36:16Yeah. We thank you. Thank you very much.

36:25Come back. We're gonna do a picture. Come back. Come back.

36:56Thank you for what you written.

37:00We'll move it back in here.

37:02Great. Yeah, I'm not.

37:05Watch again. One more, one more. Ready? One, two, and three.

37:19All right,

37:19very

37:19free. We'll see you guys in the room.

37:25I think we're gonna be right back.

37:31We're gonna do it.

37:44We need some more lessons.

37:53Before we go to the next item, I'd like to thank all of our staff and And all our employees and staff throughout all departments. and our leadership. And our EOC. uh all commissions for all what you do. 'Cause it is very amazing what we've come through in the last three or four weeks. And everybody's held up very well. So It's hard work, but When you're doing the right thing. It's it's not that hard. We

38:22know we try our best to serve every citizen. That we can. So I appreciate e each and everything you do. With that, Mike?

38:32Thanks, sir.