In 2020, Mark Anthony, founder and president of Southeastern Food Bank, had a vision.
He said God spoke to him and gave him the idea to put a central warehouse in the middle of five states to serve more people.
Southeastern Food Bank, based in Ocoee, is one step closer to achieving that vision by expanding to Fort Valley, Georgia.
The food bank has partnered with Matthews-Scippio Impact Center, a nonprofit that facilitates academic, physical, mental and spiritual needs for the community.
Anthony said Matthews-Scippio Impact Center has sent volunteers to Southeastern Food Bank to pick up food to bring take to Fort Valley in the past.
Now, the impact center has given Southeastern 2.5 acres to construct an 11,000-square-foot warehouse that can hold about 500 pallets, drive-in freezer and drive-in cooler. Anthony said the warehouse will be pre-engineered so there will be space to expand. The project will cost about $675,000.
Mark Anthony, the founder and president of Southeastern Food Bank, said expanding to Georgia will be a step to accomplishing his vision of having five distribution warehouses in five states.
Anthony said Matthews-Scippio Impact Center will have grant writers submit proposals to help cover construction and other costs.
“My hope and vision is working with more nonprofits up there and creating nonprofits for a seminar that I’ve done on if God gives you a vision, I know how to help put all that together,” Anthony said.
Besides providing food to those in need, Anthony said they will be providing disaster relief training, a seminar on farming and more.
Anthony said he hopes the warehouse will be built within a year.
In the 34 years since starting Southeastern Food Bank, Anthony said he’s made thousands of connections that have helped his nonprofit partner with more than 85 nonprofits to distribute more than 6.3 million pounds of food across 28 counties in Florida.
His ability to make connections will help Southeastern and Matthews-Scippio Impact Center partner with nonprofits, organizations and others who will help to reach those in need.
Besides the expansion to Georgia, Southeastern Food Bank has started partnering with nonprofits in Alabama. Anthony hopes to have a warehouse built there, too, as well as in Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi.
‘Retirement is not in the Bible’
Anthony started Southeastern Food Bank in his garage 34 years ago.
He sold his lawn and garden business and felt called to serve the community, so he began collecting food donations and storing them in his garage until they could be distributed.
Anthony recalled having a two-car garage that stored a 17-foot boat, five bikes, three lawn mowers, four freezers, all the donations he received but no car. Every time the family wanted to use the boat, Anthony said he would have to take all the boxes out of the garage, take the boat out, put all the boxes back in the garage and do the same when they returned from their boating outing.
He said God blessed him by connecting him with people who helped him open the 10,600-square-foot warehouse that now is located on North Kissimmee Avenue in Ocoee.
Southeastern Food Bank’s operating budget was $300 when Anthony started it in 1991. The nonprofit’s operating budget now is $296,000.
“It’s come a long ways, and I have a long way to go,” Anthony said. “I’m 73, but I don’t look at that as a number only. Even my doctors want to know when I want to retire. Retirement is not in the Bible. It’s something we created in the 20th century. So I will continue to do what I’m supposed to do, and how it’s going to happen, I have no idea.”
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