The Seeds of Hope concert series kicks off Feb. 5 with the Lenny Wilson Trio and Janice Swartz performing at Hope Lutheran Church in The Villages.
The concert series, a benefit for the Wildwood Soup Kitchen and the Wildwood Food Pantry, runs through March 3, closing with Christian recording artist Chris Atkins performing at Live Oaks Community Church.
There are a total of eight concerts at area churches and a pancake breakfast on Feb. 23.
“People really enjoy the pancake breakfast,” said volunteer Janis Loiselle. “People get an opportunity to see the kitchen operation that served over 90,000 meals in 2018. It is easy when you live in The Villages to forget how much need there is just beyond The Villages in our local community.”
The pancake breakfast is from 8 to 11 a.m. Feb. 23 at the Presbyterian Church of Wildwood. Admission is $5.
Admission to the concerts is a bag of non-perishable food or a monetary donation. Checks can be made payable to Seeds of Hope-WSK (Wildwood Soup Kitchen). The volunteers have set an ambitious goal of $60,000 and 50,000 pounds of food.
Some of the food is used for the Snack-Pack program that sends food home with needy children for the weekend.
“We always remind people that food should be something children can easily prepare for themselves like cereal, peant butter or microwavable meals,” Loiselle said.
She also wants people to be aware that commercial size cans are very usable for the food kitchen. “When they are preparing meals for a large group it is great when they have the larger cans to use,” said Loiselle.
Volunteers from many area churches participate in Seeds of Hope.
“One hundred percent of everything we take in goes to the charity,” said Loiselle.
Others scheduled to perform are The Dixieland Band, Billie Thatcher, The Kevin O’Connell Jazz Trio, Southern Gospel, Mary Jo Vitale, Angie Rose, Mark Steven Schmidt and The Villages Swing Band.
Another way Villagers can participate is by donating food to the Regional Recreation Centers.
“Hunger is a real problem in many of our surrounding communities,” said Loiselle. “Last year, the Food Pantry distributed 330,000 pounds of food to qualified families/individuals in North Sumter County.”
For more information, including a full list of all the concerts go to www.seedsofhope-wildwood.com Additional information may also be obtained by contacting Kay Vierk, Seeds of Hope Co-Chair, at (352) 753-1254 or [email protected].
