Chapel-By-The-Sea Donates Refrigerated Truck to Tampa Bay HarvestBy Anne McKay Garris
Island Estates resident Teddi McCune, center, hands the keys to the new refrigerated truck behind her, to Will Carey, executive director of Tampa Bay Harvest, and Duggan Cooley, president and CEO of Religious Community Services, right. Assisting Mrs. McCune are her daughter, Jennifer Muller and three granddaughters, left to right, back row, Hallie and Jennifer and, front row, Bryn and Annie. Funds for the truck were donated to Tampa Bay Harvest by the Chapel-By-The-Sea on Clearwater Beach in memorial to Mrs. McCune's late husband, Tom McCune, and Anne Cawood. Mr. and Mrs. McCune and Mrs. Cawood, as well as her husband, Al Cawood, have represented the Chapel-By-The-Sea as volunteers delivering food for Tampa Bay Harvest since its inception. "This refrigerated truck will multiply our ability to feed more people," said Will Carey, executive director of Tampa Bay Harvest. "Some of our largest and most enthusiast contributors, Publix among them, had become uncomfortable with donating perishable food to be transported in unrefrigerated vehicles." Tampa Bay Harvest, an all volunteer organization, works to deliver excess food from restaurants, super markets and other sources to the agencies that provide food for people unable to buy it for themselves. The hundreds of volunteers make the delivery of food economically feasible and Tampa Bay Harvest's partnership with Religious Community Services enhances the effectiveness of both organizations efforts on behalf of the hungry "Religious Community Services is thankful for the donation of the truck," said Duggan Cooley, "having the truck will allow us to feed more hungry people from our food pantry. We are currently feeding over 100 families a day," he added, "and the number is increasing weekly." The truck will feature the name of both organizations and the names of the two people in whose memory it was donated. Among the advantageous features of the truck is its capacity to use bio-diesel fuel which will be supplied free of charge to Tampa Bay Harvest by Nexxtworks in Palm Harbor. Funds proceeding from a benefit Golf Tournament, co-sponsored by the Clearwater Beach Association and the Clearwater Sailing Center, have also been donated for the purchase of a second truck for Tampa Bay Harvest use.
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