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Polk County Veteran's Services
If you are one of Polk County’s more than 54,000 military veterans, thank you for your service. Now, it’s our turn to help you claim well-deserved benefits.
PROJECT: VetRelief can intimately relate to the needs of our service members, because we have been there. We are well acquainted with the difficulties of balancing a family budget, stretching every dime, and in some cases, just trying to survive. When dealing with a life emergency, PROJECT: VetRelief supports our service members and their families with immediate financial assistance. The funds we provide are not a loan. We grant funds during a financial crisis, no strings attached. Our hope is to keep food on the table or the lights on while a family works through a trying time in their lives. By providing this temporary relief, we are able to deter the possibility of homelessness, malnutrition, loss of basic utilities, termination of employment, or deteriorating health and get them back on their feet.
Polk County Food Banks and Pantrys
Polk County food bank schedules vary by location, with many organizations offering food pantry services on specific days of the week. Specific food pantry schedules:
- Blessings & Hope (Lakeland): Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. (Line up at Highland Park Church at 4730 Lakeland Highlands Rd.)
- First Baptist Church of Lake Alfred: Second and fourth Thursdays at 7 a.m.
- Crystal Lake Elementary (Lakeland): First and third Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m.
- First Presbyterian Church Food Pantry (Auburndale): Tuesdays, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Mobile food drop site schedules
- Bartow (Church Service Center): Second and fourth Thursdays at 1 p.m.
- Fort Meade (Peace River Park): Second and fourth Thursdays at 10 a.m.
- Frostproof (Frostproof Care Center): First and third Tuesdays at 10 a.m.
- Haines City (Personal Finance Center): Second and fourth Wednesdays at 2 p.m.
- Lake Alfred (First Baptist Church): Second and fourth Thursdays at 7 a.m.
- Lake Wales (Boys and Girls Club): First and third Thursdays at 10 a.m.
Important notes
- Check before you go: It is always a good idea to call ahead to confirm hours and any specific requirements before visiting, as schedules can change, notes the United Way of Central Florida.
- ID required: Some pantries may require a form of ID with a local Polk County address.