Guest Commentary | Buying power: Your cost vs. our cost for a jar of peanut butter
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Southwest Florida is a giving community with a strong philanthropic, caring culture. If we see a neighbor struggling, we'll help. If we recognize a nonprofit that needs more boots on the ground, we'll volunteer.
Today, hunger is an issue impacting thousands of our neighbors. In fact, it's reached a crisis level with one in eight people -- including one in six children -- experiencing food insecurity.
Thankfully, Southwest Florida is full of people with big hearts who want to help. They'll head to the nearby supermarket or big box store, filling their carts with shelf-stable foods fully intent on donating a bag or two of groceries to a local food bank or food pantry.
Donated food products are always appreciated. However, there is an alternate way to give that is much more cost effective. Take a jar of peanut butter, for example. At a traditional grocery store, a jar of peanut butter can range from anywhere between $3 to $5, depending on the brand and number of ounces. Harry Chapin Food Bank, on the other hand, pays approximately $1 per jar of peanut butter. The math is simple -- you could spend $5 to buy one jar of peanut butter and support one local family, or you could donate $5 so Harry Chapin Food Bank can purchase five jars of peanut butter that support five families. That example also holds true for jelly, pasta, cereal, protein bars and cans of fruits, vegetables and meats.
Food banks buy in bulk and maintain partnerships with grocers like Publix, Winn-Dixie and Walmart that provide favorable pricing. Harry Chapin Food Bank is a powerful organization -- the largest food bank in Southwest Florida and the region's only Feeding America partner -- that can stretch the value of donations across multiple families.
In an era where retail food costs are soaring, it's incredibly important to stretch every dollar so our community can feed as many neighbors as possible.
Visitors to Harry Chapin Food Bank's distribution centers in Fort Myers or Naples often compare the warehouses to wholesale stores like Sam's Club, Costco or BJs. The buildings are stocked with foods of all varieties, from fresh produce and bread to shelf-stable grains, frozen foods and dairy products. Monetary donations allow our team to purchase products in bulk, restock our shelves and then donate pallets upon pallets of food to the partner agencies and neighbors who rely on the community's support to put food on the table.
In 2026, demand for food has reached unprecedented levels, but Harry Chapin Food Bank is more determined than ever to end hunger in Southwest Florida. Last year, an incredible 96 cents of every dollar donated went directly to programs that fed children, families, seniors and veterans across Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties.
Individuals who donate $20 may not think their donation will make a dent in Southwest Florida's hunger crisis, but it does. Peanut butter aside, a $20 monetary donation allows Harry Chapin Food Bank to provide 40 healthy, nourishing meals, making a profound impact on the lives of our neighbors, friends, co-workers and family members. Visit HarryChapinFoodBank.org to make a secure online donation and join our movement to end hunger in Southwest Florida.
Richard LeBer is president and CEO of Harry Chapin Food Bank, Southwest Florida's largest hunger-relief nonprofit and the region's only Feeding America partner food bank.