News 6 and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office are partnering with Daytona Beach nonprofit Healthy Souls International to collect food and essential supplies amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“This food drive will give us the opportunity to make those deliveries to you so you can stay safe and recover,” Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood said. "You don’t even need to come out and put yourself or anybody else at risk. That’s what I think the beauty is that we’re doing here.”
Healthy Souls is working to distribute resources to some of the most vulnerable residents in Volusia County and around Central Florida by offering groceries, personal hygiene products and toilet paper to those most at risk for coronavirus.
The nonprofit delivers goods to people who are restricted to leave their homes., including those over 65 years old, a suppressed immune system or anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
The non-profit started after Hurricane Maria.
"I’ve done disaster relief in the Bahamas, I’ve done disaster relief in Puerto Rico," Healthy Souls International founder Maria Davila said. "We are now doing disaster relief here in Volusia County. I feel like we're doing our part to flatten the curve because we're keeping these people home."
Healthy Souls needs more supplies to continue their work. To help their efforts, News 6 and the Sheriff’s Office will host two food and supply drives in May.
Davila told News 6 they only delivered about 250 meals when the outbreak first started. She now expects to deliver 4,000 meals this week.
“We’re really counting on these drives to bring in food for next week’s deliveries,” Davila said. “If we don’t have enough food, we can’t deliver.”
The organization is seeking a number of items. Here’s the full list of needed supplies:
- Easy prep meals, including canned and dry meals
- Rice, Beans, Soups, Pasta, Spaghetti Sauce, Produce, Fruit Cups, Apple Sauce, Peanut Butter, Jelly
- Low sodium and low sugar food items
- Canned meats- Vienna sausages, Chicken, Tuna
- Mac n cheese
- Oatmeal
- Cereal
- Bread
- Eggs,
- Paper goods including toilet paper and tissues
- Trash bags
- Pet foods (cat and dog)
Gas cards, gloves, masks, and anti-bacterial soaps, disinfecting wipes, Lysol spray, paper bags, quart-sized bags and hand sanitizer for the headquarter and volunteers.
“There’s people here who need help so let’s help them,” Davila said.
If you want to do your part and help, here’s how you can donate:
Visit healthysoulsinternational.org and donate money https://healthysoulsinternational.org/ or drop off supplies at the following locations:
May 1 from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. at the Kitchen Gallery in Ormond Beach (205 S Yonge St, Ormond Beach, FL 32174)
May 2 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. at Port Orange City Center (1000 City Center Cir, Port Orange, FL 32129)