Our History

May, 1980: A group from a variety of faiths and backgrounds begins to talk about a program that was operating successfully in other parts of the United States. After learning about the food banking concept, the group enthusiastically decides to proceed, obtaining trucks, walk-in freezers, forklifts, scales, telephones, and office equipment, and warehouse space, which is donated by Dade County.

February 17, 1981: Daily Bread Food Bank is incorporated as a Florida nonprofit organization

1982: Daily Bread Food Bank begins distributing food. By the middle of the year Daily Bread is distributing 36,000 pounds of food a month.

1985: Daily Bread Food Bank opens a part-time distribution program for Broward County.

Mid-1985: Daily Bread Food Bank is distributing over 500,000 pounds of food per month through 260 social service agencies. This ten-fold increase puts tremendous pressure on Daily Bread Food Bank and its 10,000 square foot facility near the Miami Produce Market to effectively obtain and distribute food. The Board of Directors begins a capital campaign to obtain a larger warehouse.

March 1, 1987: Daily Bread Food Bank opens a 33,000 square foot warehouse and administrative office at 5850 NW 32nd Avenue in Brownsville. With this warehouse Daily Bread is able to handle larger quantities of donated food, and serve more agencies. Several member agencies of Daily Bread are located in Broward County.

1989: Daily Bread Food Bank opens a 6,000 square foot distribution center at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. Space is leased at $1 per year.

1989: A group of business people involved in hunger programs in Boca Raton realizes that several Palm Beach County agencies feeding hungry people might benefit from a local Food Bank. They contact Daily Bread Food Bank to see if a branch might be established in this area. It is determined that to establish this program, it will cost $150,000 for space, transportation, staffing, and equipment.

February 1990: Daily Bread Food Bank opens its 20,000 square foot distribution center in West Palm Beach.

1991: Daily Bread Food Bank begins the first prepared and perishable food rescue program in South Florida, called Extra Helpings.

August 1992: Hurricane Andrew hits South Florida. During disaster relief efforts in South Miami-Dade County, Daily Bread recognizes that long-term help is necessary for this area.

1995: Daily Bread Food Bank opens a distribution center in the Homestead area to serve South Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties. Since its inception, the South Miami-Dade distribution center has moved to an 11,000 square foot warehouse in Perrine.

October 2000: Daily Bread Food Bank opens a Reclamation Center in a 30,800-square foot warehouse in north Miami-Dade County. This project represents an alliance between Daily Bread Food Bank and Publix Super Markets, Inc., which sends unmarketable food and other grocery products from the stores in its South Florida Division to be processed at the Reclamation Center. This project will provide a stable source of food and other grocery products to Daily Bread Food Bank, providing two million pounds of product annually for distribution to our member agencies.

Present: With a family of three distribution centers, the reclamation center, and over 800 affiliated agencies, Daily Bread Food Bank is now able to distribute over one and a half million pounds of food to hungry people in our community each month.