BRADENTON, Fla. — Carl Snyder had never seen such a large birthday bash before. The president of a Bradenton-area food pantry welcomed 500 kids this past weekend to a well-deserved party.
“When you can give them a birthday party that they otherwise wouldn’t get that’s extraordinary in their lives,” he said.
Snyder and his wife, Vicki, founded Hungers End Inc. It started by offering meals on Monday nights out of a 10-by-10-foot tent seven years ago. Now, they have a complex that offers haircuts and other services. The mission has not changed.
“Our goal and mission is just to help those who are struggling to get them back on their feet and point them in the right directions,” he said.
That includes kids. The couple noticed there were a lot of kids coming in for helpful services. Snyder wondered if they would like a proper birthday bash.
“We just love blessing the children and the community in any way that we can,” Snyder said.
Joe and Janna Moran helped make this happen. They donated $25,000 to Carl to help host the 500 kids. Another donor, Richard, gave an additional $5,000. That helped pay for cake, party supplies and those 1,500 gifts. The party was held in an open field near the Freedom Gathering Church in Bradenton.
“It so rewarding, right? Because you feel the appreciation from them so much and the smile and joy that comes from them,” Snyder said. “It gives you joy personally and that’s what it’s all about.”
They plan to do the same thing in December for a Christmas party.
“It will be a great party to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ,” Snyder said.
Hunger’s End is located at 1802 14th St. W. in Bradenton and hosts meals on Mondays from 6-7 p.m. The food pantry is open to anyone in need from 10 a.m. to noon on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month and 2-4 p.m on the first and third Wednesdays of each month.