When Governor Rick Scott came to Pensacola he spoke with many community and business leaders about recovering from last week's flood. He also spend a lot of time talking to Dee Dee Flounlacker, the Executive Director of Manna Food Pantries, the region's primary food bank.
In the week since the storm Flounlacker says there has been an outpouring of support from the community. Temple Beth El has offered temporary office space, Gulf Winds Credit Union has set up a "command center on site in an RV." Gulf Winds has also pledged up to 50 thousand dollars in matching contributions to the rebuilding effort.
And even though Manna's headquarters remain unusable, they will still be a part of this weekend's Stamp Out Hunger food drive from the post office. Everyone who has mail delivered to their home can participate in Saturday's food drive. Just leave non-perishable food items out by your mail box and it will be picked up by your local letter carrier.
As for the future of Manna Food pantries, Dee Dee Flounlacker says there is still a lot of work to do before they can resume full operations. More cracks have been found in the foundation of their Gonzalez Street location, and Flounlacker thinks it will be 8 to 12 weeks before they can resume operations.
