A grant to House of Hope this summer has blossomed into several key partnerships and 12 tons of food for children and senior citizens in Martin County.

House of Hope received $32,291 through the Safety Net Challenge - a matching grant campaign conducted in May by the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties and its partners, Allegany Franciscan Ministries, the Children's Services Council of Palm Beach County, and Quantum Foundation.

Upon receiving the grant from the Safety Net Fund in July, House of Hope first forged a partnership with Treasure Coast Food Bank in order to access free and low-cost food to supply its expanded services to senior citizens and children in Martin County.

House of Hope then worked with the Council on Aging and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Martin County to arrange for supplies of food that would best fit their needs.

In carrying out the Safety Net program, volunteers fill bags of food with basics such as canned vegetables, soup, fruit, meat and tomato products as well as pasta. Then, House of Hope delivers the bags of food to the agencies on alternating weeks as follows:

- Council on Aging: 100 bags, serving seniors who are on a waiting list for Meals on Wheels services.

- Boys and Girls Clubs: 180 bags divided among East Stuart, Hobe Sound, Indiantown and Port Salerno - clubs not already served by the Treasure Coast Food Bank's BackPack Program. This arrangement ensures that more families have the supplies available for nutritious meals - especially on weekends when the children do not receive a school-based meal.

The grant from the Safety Net Fund will enable the program to continue into November.

For more information about House of Hope, call (772) 286-4673 or visit www.hohmartin.org.