DeLAND, Fla. – A local church hosted a food giveaway on Saturday and said the demand was so high that they ran out of food within the first half hour.

First Presbyterian in DeLand partnered with Farm Share for Saturday’s food drive.

News 6 went there to cover the food giveaway to highlight the church’s efforts to help out its neighbors. The food giveaway was set to start at 9:00 a.m., but by 9:30 a.m., it was already gone.

“Well, I really feel bad when people come through not too long after 9:00 and then say, ‘But I thought it was starting at 9:00,’ and you say it was, but people were lined up since 6:00 this morning and it goes fast,” said Mary Hoffman, head of Mission Outreach for First Presbyterian DeLand.

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Food insecurity is an issue that thousands of Central Floridians face. According to the Florida Department of Health, in 2022, 13.4% of the population in Volusia County was facing food insecurity.

Hoffmann said they gave away 225 bags of food with enough inside to feed a family of four for a week.

She said they have been hosting the food giveaways since the COVID-19 pandemic, adding the demand has increased.

“There were times when we actually had surplus food and it worked well because we would take it to the neighborhood center here in town and give them the food that we had left over or take it to other sources and then we donated it,” Hoffman said. “But the last, gosh, probably the last year, year and a half, we haven’t had any left over at all.”

If you missed out on Saturday’s food drive, Hoffman said they will host another on March 15 at First Presbyterian Church in DeLand, located at 724 N. Woodland Boulevard. The food giveaway will start at 9 a.m., but it is recommended for people to arrive early.

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