OUR impact
SOCIAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
With over half of Monroe County residents struggling with the cost of living and lack of affordable housing, SOS Foundation steps in to ensure that all families or individuals have the food support they need so they can concentrate on other aspects of life that will help them reach their goal of lifting out of poverty. By providing healthy food access along with nutrition education, we aim to create a well-rounded approach to, and conversation around, our community's health.
ENVIRONMENTAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
40% of the food in the United States never reaches the dinner table and enters the waste stream to decompose. Utilizing food that would otherwise be wasted is the most efficient way to address the epidemic of hunger facing our community. Since 2006, the Star of the Sea Foundation has been recovering perfectly edible food from South Florida Farmers as well as local businesses and groceries, and redirecting it to our neighbors' dinner tables, resulting in over 3 million pounds of food to be utilized. Any food that can't be recovered for human consumption is given to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office Animal Farm for animal feed.
ECONOMIC
ENVIRONMENTAL
ECONOMIC
In 2018, SOS Foundation distributed over 2 million pounds of food to the working poor throughout Monroe County. Our food distribution network provides clients the supplemental
nutrition they need at no cost, so they can afford their rent, bills, or any other expenditures, resulting in growth to our local economy. Furthermore, the SOS Foundation has a yearly fundraiser, the Casino Night Gala, which has high net gains for our non-profit, thus enabling SOS to continue serving our community.
Testimonials
Noutchy
Noutchy (pictured left) and her friend Deb (pictured right) visited the SOS food pantry to stock up on fresh produce! Little Noutchy loves SOS because she can always find pretty clothes, notebooks, and pencils to prepare for the school year. Did you know that the SOS food bank also distributes clothing, pet food, and house supplies?
Anonymous
“The pantry is very helpful, especially when you have a young son. Mine is only two years old and I have to pay for his daycare and so I can’t afford to buy all this food at the store– especially this food because it’s healthy- for example he loves all the vegetables I get here. Really just very helpful.” -Anonymous
Gilbert
Gilbert Vasquez moved to Key West four years ago from New Mexico with his niece. He found a steady job working in boatyards, until a stroke rendered him physically unable to perform hard, manual labor. Gilbert visits the SOS food pantry once a week but hopes to get back into the workforce as soon as possible.
He describes:"The SOS food pantry saved us. My stroke really affected my hands and motor skills, and I was unable to support us. I come to the food pantry once a week, and it helps put food on the table and keeps us from going without. Everyone is so nice and respectful to me here, and I am thankful to have this place. I can not only feed myself and my niece but can also get food for my cat, Jack. This food pantry is here for me if I need it, and that's a blessing."
Michael
“If I didn’t have this, I wouldn’t have hardly that much to eat at all… It took me three years to get disability, but once you get disability then you don’t get food stamps. If it wasn’t for this {pantry] I wouldn’t have bread and food. And the vegetables- sometimes that’s very good. Sometimes it’s unbelievable! You wouldn’t believe sometimes how many. And it’s all fresh stuff... All the people here- the homeless, the people living on boats, even the people on land, we appreciate you all so much. If it weren’t for you we wouldn’t be able to be here.”
Laura
"I always knew that when my clients came to the food pantry, they'd be taken care of. People come to the SOS food pantry and they're always treated nicely. Everyone deserves respect. SOS is special because we give people the right to choose to want they want. They are able to find exactly what they need and we develop a personal relationship with them along the way, and that's really special."
-Laura , a social worker who volunteers with SOS to continue making a difference in people's lives every day.