ORANGE PARK – Niagara Cares, the charitable division of Niagara Bottling, joined today with leading anti-hunger organizations Feed the Children and Safe Future Foundation last Thursday, Oct. 14, for a Resource Rally to distribute food, cases of water, daily essentials and other resources to 400 Middleburg families at Orange Park Mall. Each pre-qualified family received a 25-pound box of food, including canned vegetables, cereal, peanut butter, mac and cheese and a case of water; a 15-pound box of personal-care essentials such as shampoo, razors, toothpaste and feminine hygiene products and additional products. Local organizations provided additional wrap-around community services as part of the Niagara Cares Innovation Grant. With many factors contributing to food insecurity, these services will remove barriers and provide resources for childcare, employment, healthy living and more. Partners include Episcopal Children’s Services, Baker and Clay County Healthy Start, Hey Mama, Early Learning Coalition and Children’s Hospital. “At Niagara, connecting with and supporting our communities is the heart of everything we do,” said Ann Canela, director of corporate giving at Niagara Bottling. “Our Team Members at the Middleburg facility are an integral part of this community, and it’s significant to us to provide these essential items to local families. We’ve seen firsthand the significant impact these Resource Rallies have, and we’re grateful to continue supporting families here, too.” With one in five children in the U.S. experiencing food insecurity, hunger remains a serious issue in many communities. More than 8.5% of Middleburg residents live below the poverty line (according to the U.S. Census Bureau), and price hikes in transportation, food, clothing, housing and energy stretch families' budgets to the breaking point.