FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — A Fort Myers Beach food pantry that has served as a lifeline for neighbors since Hurricane Ian will close its doors on September 10 due to funding shortfalls.
Watch as Community Correspondent, Anvar Ruziev, reports from the closing pantry:
FMB Strong has helped hundreds of neighbors with food, housing and connections to services like SNAP and disability benefits for nearly three years. Since Hurricane Ian, the group has run under the motto "survivors helping survivors."
"We've helped people with housing, with drugs and alcohol, social security, food stamps; just giving people a place to come talk to somebody. We've always called ourselves survivors helping survivors," said Heidi Jungwirth, executive director of FMB Strong.
The organization said it has struggled financially after grants that paid staff ended last year, leaving just one employee to keep the pantry operational.
"We've been struggling for a year to keep the lights on and the doors open. Financially, there's nothing more we can do. Unfortunately, I had to make that decision," Jungwirth said.
Despite the closure, demand for the pantry's services remains high. The facility said it currently serves between 300 and 600 people on the days it operates.
"We average 120 to 160 households a day, which can be anywhere from 300 to 600 people depending on who comes through the door," Jungwirth said.
As the pantry prepares to close, FMB Strong is directing neighbors to other food pantries in Lee County while promising to maintain a presence on the island.
"We're still going to be here for our community. If there's a storm, we'll open operations and do whatever we need to help. We're not going anywhere," Jungwirth said.
The organization will remain a designated Red Cross relief center for future hurricanes.
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