Last month, teammates from Kobie, along with members of the Executive Leadership Team, came together for a volunteer session at the St. Petersburg Free Clinic (SPFC) Jared S. Hechtkopf Food Bank. In a brief three-hour period, the team sorted 6000 pounds of food, which will help those in need in our local community.
In 2016, Bonnie Hechtkopf, chair of Kobie, purchased the 14,000 sq. ft. warehouse in memory of her late husband and Kobie’s founder, Jared Hechtkopf. The Food Bank is now a hub for food collection from grocers and food drives, as well as a distribution center for the SPFC’s 65 partner organizations throughout Pinellas County. Bonnie has also funded two food distribution trucks in support of the work of the Food Bank.
The Free Clinic Food Bank was established in 1980 as the second food bank ever founded in Florida. It has been one of many offerings of SPFC for almost 40 years, and a prominent one at that; it is the top emergency food distributor in Pinellas County, and in 2018 alone, the food bank distributed over 7.6 million pounds of food. Paired with other SPFC programs such as their Health Center, emergency services, various residence programs, and more, the Food Bank is a vital resource to the Tampa Bay area.
Making a positive difference and impact in our local community is an integral part of our culture at Kobie. Through Kobie Cares, our corporate philanthropy program, our teammates are encouraged to volunteer frequently and are armed with the opportunities to help causes that they’re passionate about in a plethora of ways.
To learn more about our Kobie Cares partners, click here.
