The Waterfront Mission wants to make sure no one is hungry or alone during the holiday season through their annual Meal Ticket campaign.
According to James Robbins, vice president of retail for the Waterfront Mission Rescue, said this is the fifth year for the campaign, which originated at the Milton location as a recommendation from staff.
“It was a great idea to begin with and we try to improve upon it every year,” Robbins said.
With the public’s assistance, the meal ticket program allows the faith-based, non-for-profit organization to provide meals for those in need during the holiday season, whether poor, homeless, elderly or those who are temporarily displaced.
According to the organization’s website, Waterfront Mission is anticipating on serving more than 50,000 additional meals from through December 31, which is also the duration of the campaign.
With the colder weather, Robbins said the increase of meals for the homeless and those in need left the organization refilling their pantries.
“This program has helped a lot with replenishing,” Robbins said. “This provides a great safety net for us.”
In addition to providing services to those in need, Robbins said the Waterfront Mission provides an array of services across the GulfCoast, from Fort Walton Beach to Mobile, Alabama.
In addition to selling the tickets at area Waterfront Mission Rescue locations, wristbands are also being sold (which provide two meals), to help raise awareness for the campaign. The organization received several sponsorships from local churches, organizations and businesses. Additional sponsorships are available and families are also invited to participate.
Robbins said the campaign not only provides meals, but also builds a relationship between Waterfront and those they are servicing.
“This is not about just providing hot meals, but to build relationships and talk about the services we have available,” he said.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Meal Ticket campaign benefits residents in need