Feeding our community continues to be challenging. The number of our neighbors struggling with food insecurity has doubled in the past few years. A recent grant from The Community Foundation Martin – St. Lucie through the Frances Langford Fund helped make the construction of a new 2,100 square-foot packing house possible at House of Hope’s Growing Hope Farm. It will handle produce grown at the farm and produce gleaned by volunteers from commercial farms. All of which makes its way to House of Hope clients. It will also be made available to local small farms that can pay to use the packing house in the form of fresh produce. House of Hope is the largest provider of basic needs services and food to local individuals and families struggling with food insecurity in the area. They are leading the charge to assist those in need to overcome hunger and hardship. By providing access to nutritious food, they open a door to improved health and economic stability. In 2018, House of Hope established Growing Hope Farm to ensure its food pantries and soup kitchen partners have a supply of fresh vegetables. The new packing house is an essential part of that promise.