UMATILLA, Fla. – As many people in Central Florida face uncertainties surrounding benefits such as SNAP during the government shutdown, a local restaurant in Umatilla is stepping up by giving away free food to kids who need it.
The Mason Jar in Umatilla is collecting donations to make sure kids don’t go hungry while the government remains shut down.
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Justin Scamardo, the owner of The Mason Jar, said in four days they raised $1,600 to make pre-packed lunches for children.
To get a bagged lunch, the restaurant shared a post on social media saying to come in and ask for a “Mason Jar Bag.” The post said you can get one for every child present, every day, no questions asked and no purchase necessary until SNAP benefits are restored in Florida.
“You know we’re a restaurant; we’re a part of this community,” Scamardo said. “My philosophy on hospitality is if you can help, you should help. So we’ve been blessed, we’re in a position to help people, it felt like a no-brainer.”
The restaurant is also partnering with The Care Closet to help local kids during this time. If you’d like to donate, you can bring non-perishable food items to the Care Closet donation bin in the lobby of The Mason Jar.
Scamardo said if people would like to help, they can come by the restaurant to donate or simply share the post to get the word out to people who need it.