The Highlands County Sheriff’s Office spent the past week doing something you don’t often see on a patrol log: packing food boxes. Staff volunteered alongside United Way of Central Florida at Harvest House Fellowship Church in Sebring, preparing and distributing nearly 100 boxes to local residents facing food insecurity.
The effort didn’t end with volunteer hours. The agency also donated $40,000 in forfeiture funds to sponsor the Lorida meal drop site and support food distributions at South Florida State College. According to United Way, an estimated 13,430 people in Highlands County don’t have reliable access to food, a number that puts the need in sharp perspective.
The partnership is a reminder that hunger relief in Florida runs on collaboration: churches providing space, nonprofits organizing logistics, and local agencies contributing both manpower and funding. For anyone here on the Suncoast wondering how to get involved, food banks and meal sites across the region are always looking for volunteers. What local organization do you think deserves more attention for the work they do?
