Seeds of Hope, a church-supported charity, marked a banner year for donations Friday with the presentation of symbolic checks totaling $50,760 to the Wildwood Food Pantry and the Wildwood Soup Kitchen.
Contributions to Seeds of Hope far exceeded the organization’s $40,000 goal for the year, said co-chairwoman Bonnie Kusky.
Among major donors were Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, $6,000; Villages Cheerleaders, $5,000; Parady Financial, which donated food; and Division 2 Recreation League, which gave money and food.
The organization collected 27,000 pounds of food in tubs placed at churches, banks and other community locations. Ultrex Printing provided free advertising leaflets.
“There is no paid staff on any of the three organizations,” Kusky said. “Every penny and every pound of food donated goes directly to feed the hungry in the area.”
Wildwood Soup Kitchen, which started in 1992 and operates with about 280 volunteers, is located at the First Presbyterian Church in Wildwood. Last year, the kitchen provided more than 80,000 in-house and delivered meals.
Located at the Wildwood United Methodist Church, Wildwood Food Pantry is run with about 80 volunteers and distributes more than 200,000 pounds of food each year. The pantry is co-sponsored by New Covenant United Methodist Church.
Founded nine years ago, Seeds of Hope raises funds for the pantry and soup kitchen through a series of concerts held at area churches and Temple Shalom. The group’s latest concert season, which ended in February, featured performances by popular local entertainers including Mary Jo Vitale, Billie Thatcher, the Villages Dixieland Band and gospel singer Norman Lee.
“We thank the churches in the area and the Jewish temple,” said co-chairwoman Donna Ford Vierow. “They’re the ones that host the concerts for us at no charge.”
She said Seeds of Hope operates with a committee of 20 dedicated volunteers.
“If somebody has a need to be away, someone else will pick up the responsibility,” Vierow said. “They’re the ones with the contracts and they’re the ones that organize the concerts.”
