FLEMING ISLAND – A lot of hungry children will go to bed this month with full bellies, thanks to Whitey’s Fish Camp Waterfront Restaurant and Bar.

The promotion on July 29 helped Whitey’s collect nearly 600 pounds of canned and non-perishable food for the Salvation Army of Clay County as part of its Day of Giving promotion. The famed restaurant also provided the organization that provides social services like food, shelter, faith and dignity a check last week for $3,141 after Whitey’s donated a portion of its profits for that day.

“I did a spot on TV news a month or so ago, and Whitey’s saw it,” said Post Capt. Tim Scott. “They contacted us about doing a food drop there, and then they’d donate a portion of their sales. That was such a blessing to us.”

The Whitey’s rally came at a critical time for the Salvation Army, Scott said, since the demands to serve hungry people continues to grow. He said the Post on County Road 220 in Middleburg currently serves more than 2,000 people a month.

“So, it was all more than we expected,” Scott said. “I didn't go in with an expectation of this amount or that amount. We were just blessed to be a part of it.”

Scott said it’s becoming increasingly more difficult for groups to meet the needs of its hungry and underserved communities. He said during a three-month period that ended in July, the Salvation Army provided much-needed rations to 6,200 residents.

And the need continues to grow, he said.

“That's not families, that’s people,” Scott said. “It's far less families than that. It’s about 1,700 children over a three-month period. We’re doing a little over 500 kids a month. We’re doing probably 80 veterans and close to 500 seniors.

“Also, we’re doing about 250 disabled a month. And sadly, our numbers are growing.”

Whitey’s, which celebrated new ownership on March 12, said it was happy to continue its partnership with the local area. They thanked everyone who donated to the food bank.

“We cannot say it enough that it takes the whole community to put food on the table for those in need,” co-owner Justin Griffin said.

Scott said food insecurity isn’t defined by political affiliations or by “who was in the White House or the governor's office or the mayor's office.” Also, a recent reduction in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program) has compounded the problem.

“We're doing all we can to help,” he said. “We continue to look for more resources every single day. And God blesses us every single day.”

To help, call the Salvation Army at (904) 276-6677.