Feeding the soul: BEAM distributes nearly 50,000 pounds of groceries in March

The Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry (BEAM) staff and volunteers remain resilient to continue to serve families in the Beaches area communities that have been hard-hit by the economic impact of COVID-19. The nonprofit organization is working to ensure their most at-risk populations have access to emergency services, while adhering to recommendations from the CDC, the Florida Department of Health and local authorities.

Last month, BEAM assisted a total of 69 households with overdue bills, and by April 7, just one week into the month, BEAM has already assisted 70 households with emergency rent assistance. The nonprofit organization expects this number will continue to climb rapidly, and is actively seeking funds to support this growing financial need. In addition, BEAM continues to provide food to families and COVID-19 victims, and last week alone, they distributed more than 13,000 meals to the high-risk populations in Jacksonville’s beaches area communities.

“What a blessing for the residents! The residents and I were amazed at the gift of preprepared food. You were so wonderful to share your donation with us. Every time I see the residents they just say, ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you!’” said Ellen Hopkins, service coordinator at Pablo Towers Senior Living Facility. "Just this morning, a resident shared with me that she loves to get the fruit cups, and was really grateful to get some last week. She has to be dairy-free, so she pours a fruit cup on her cereal every day and that gives the cereal some moisture. The resident expressed how thankful she is for BEAM’s faithfulness in providing food for the residents every week. We are so grateful to you!"

BEAM started a Virtual Food Drive due to the outpouring of inquiries from the community asking for ways to help families in need. The agency is asking that no food donations be dropped off by the public at this time, in order to minimize personal contact. More information can be found on BEAM’s website at JaxBEAM.org/covid19-donations.

BEAM Food Bank distribution as of April 3:

• Conducted a drive-through mobile food pantry at Oak Harbor Baptist Church and a pop-up pantry at Mayport Elementary School to assist families in the Mayport area
• Provided prepackaged groceries to BEAM food pantry clients, totaling more than 6,000 pounds of food dispersed
• Dropped off meals and groceries for all residents of Pablo Towers, a senior subsidized living facility
• Coordinated delivery of food to homebound seniors via Beaches Dial-a-Ride and conducted weekly check-in calls to assess need for supplies and medications
• Connected Beaches Community Kitchen with 235 prepackaged senior meals in partnership with Feeding Northeast Florida and their new restaurant initiative

Changes in operations:

• BEAM is no longer accepting food donations, and encourages supporters to make a donation to its Virtual Food Drive allowing us to buy food in bulk and minimize personal contact.
• BEAM’s Shetter and 7North thrift stores are closed. During this time, no donated items will be accepted.
• At-risk seniors identified by BEAM and Beaches Council on Aging are being called by BEAM staff and volunteers on a regular basis to check on their status and grocery supplies.

BEAM is also exploring the ability to assist clients in need of unemployment benefits and are looking for a partner who may be able to help with staff/volunteer training.

“We have already seen a spike in clients applying for food assistance, as well as rent and utility assistance, as a result of the impact of COVID-19 on our community,” said Caleigh Quast, BEAM’s development coordinator.

According to Executive Director Lori Richards, BEAM had already helped 78 clients with financial assistance in just the first week of April, almost every one of which was due to lost wages resulting from coronavirus. By comparison, the agency served about 65 clients for the entire month of January.

Between its two pantries, BEAM is currently able to accommodate from 125 to 130 households per week with food. Since they are no longer accepting donations from the public, they must partner with local grocery stores to make bulk purchases. The situation is made even more difficult in light of reduced inventory.

Hence the need for monetary support for the Virtual Food Drive.

“Our goal is to keep a two-week supply in our warehouse; if it drops below that level, we have to arrange for a bulk purchase, and things are going pretty quickly,” said Richards. “Right now, there aren’t any no-shows. Everyone who makes an appointment here keeps it.”

For complete details, go to JaxBEAM.org.