Breaking Bread | Palatka Daily News, Palatka, Florida

Dealership group gives big to local food kitchen

Wayne McClain, vice president of Beck Automotive Group, smiles Tuesday with Bread of Life board members Theresa Odom, Cliff Lyda and Kim Daley as well as Beck general managers Jeremy Alexander and Matt Buckles after presenting a check for $5,000 to the nonprofit organization.
Bread of Life board member Theresa Odom, left, tells Brian Freeman, the general manager of Beck Ford Lincoln, and fellow board member Kim Daley that all canned goods donated to Bread of Life get used for the meals the group serves to people in need.
Daley tells Buckles, the general manager for Beck Chevrolet Buick GMC, about the food pantry and how supportive Putnam County residents have been.
Positively Putnam FL

A Palatka food pantry has become a haven for food-insecure residents, and volunteers envision help going beyond serving hot meals.

The Beck Automotive Group helped Bread of Life volunteers Tuesday by donating $5,000.

Volunteers serve freshly-cooked hot meals 11:30 a.m-12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday out of its renovated building, 320 N. Fifth St., which was reopened just under two months ago.

Bread of Life has only volunteers, rather than paid employees, and most of the food that lines the shelves inside the gray and orange building was donated by people throughout Putnam County.

The current board took over the pantry in 2019, and infrastructure issues caused the group to serve meals out of First Presbyterian Church of Palatka’s Westminster Hall on Second Street until renovations were complete in May.

“When we started out, there was not a one of us who had any idea how to do a soup kitchen, as it’s traditionally called,” board President Cliff Lyda said. “The idea that less than two years later I’d be standing here looking at this, that would have been absurd. Obviously, we’ve been highly blessed.”

Lyda thanked Wayne McClain, vice president of Beck Automotive Group, and general managers Jeremy Alexander, Brian Freeman and Matt Buckles, all of whom met with Bread of Life volunteers Tuesday to present the donation.

“What we’ve been blessed by is the fact that this community has responded to this. I don’t think we have a good word for it,” Lyda said. “Very clearly, our community wants this to happen through the donations like this that we’ve received.”

McClain said Beck officials want to help local efforts when they can and enjoy meeting with organizations to give back.

“Bread of Life has a special place in our heart. It always has been,” McClain said.

The donation is part of the commitment Beck President Break Sloan made to continue helping Bread of Life, McClain said.

Since being back in their original building, volunteers said it has never rained during the hour hot meals are distributed and they are able to feed at least 50 people per day, if not more. Last month, Bread of Life served 1,000 meals.

People are sent away on Friday with enough food to last through the weekend, but sometimes, residents in need can walk away with more than just a meal.

Board members said they hosted a coronavirus vaccine distribution at the Fifth Street building. Volunteers supply hygiene items and keep bug spray for homeless residents who may need to combat Florida insects.

The group plans to host a hairstylist this week because people who use the pantry may not be able to afford a new haircut, which could help them when applying for jobs, board member Kimberly Daley said.

Daley said keeping people healthy is of great value to the community. She has heard of people calling Emergency Medical Services to be taken to Putnam Community Medical Center just so they can have a hot meal, a shower and some sleep.

“For the cost to the county, this is the best value. We can keep them healthy and we get them connected with other services,” Daley said. “Food’s not the only need they have.”