SF Teaching Zoo and SF Police Department Team Up for Canned Food Drive
October 1, 2021
October 1, 2021 – The Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo and Santa Fe College Police Department are working together again this year to help food-insecure families in the community with a canned food drive. All throughout the month of October, they will be hosting "Ghosts, Goblins and Groceries", collecting canned and non-perishable food items to benefit Saints Food Share and Catholic Charities.
Before the pandemic, the SF Teaching Zoo hosted the annual Boo at the Zoo event each Halloween, while the SFPD held Run With The Cops in early November. Considering the large numbers usually in attendance, many of whom are not eligible to be vaccinated for COVID-19, both groups made the decision to take steps to best protect the community and hold the canned food drive again this year.
While more events are going on this fall as opposed to last, the impact from the pandemic is still being felt among many food-insecure families in the community. Even before the pandemic, as many as one out of every five people, and one of every four children in North Central Florida did not have reliable access to food. The economic strain brought on by the pandemic has not only continued to impact the most vulnerable in the region, but also those who had never needed to rely on food donations have now found themselves in need.
During "Ghosts, Goblins and Groceries", anyone who brings a canned good to the SF Teaching Zoo during regular hours of 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (last entry into the zoo is 2:30 p.m.) will receive $1 off admission for each item donated. There will be donation boxes set up across SF's Northwest Campus, as well as SF's Andrews Center in Starke, Blount Center in Gainesville, Davis Center in Archer, Watson Center in Keystone Heights and Perry Center in Alachua. There will also be collection locations around the Gainesville Community. For a complete list of locations and additional details, visit the SF Teaching Zoo's Ghosts, Goblins and Groceries web page at sfcollege.edu/zoo.
Now is a great time to come together and support those in need here in our community.
