Commission refers Strike Out Hunger co-sponsorship request to manager, appoints commissioner champion

Rodney Long, representing the Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Florida and the Long Foundation, presented outcomes from the 2015 Strike Out Hunger food drive and asked the county to repeat last year’s in-kind cosponsorship that included use of the Alachua County Fairgrounds.

Long told commissioners the drive mobilized more than 80 organizations, raised about $18,000 for Thanksgiving baskets, distributed roughly 925 baskets and collected nearly 113,000 pounds of food.

Commissioner Pinkerson moved to refer Long’s request to the county manager for a recommendation on participation and to ask staff to return with options. The board unanimously approved the referral and Commissioner Chestnut volunteered and was appointed as the commission’s “champion” to work with staff and the organizer on county participation.

The manager confirmed the county already has a policy for working with 501(c)(3) organizations and that staff will follow the newly adopted process in preparing recommendations. The manager will bring back suggested levels of in-kind support and any fiscal impacts to the commission.