OCALA, FL (352today.com) – The United Way of Marion County joined partners Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, Operation Compassion of Florida, Publix and a Wings of Faith outreach ministry to distribute nearly 50,000 pounds of food on Tuesday, September 27, 2026.
During the partnership event, dubbed “Publix Serves Day,” 189 volunteers distributed 48,358 pounds of donated food to 762 families at Ocala Rotary Sportsplex.
“Our mission is to unite local resources to help our neighbors, and Publix Serves Day is a wonderful example of that mission in action. We are grateful to our partners for providing the food, the coordination to ensure a smooth distribution and the team of volunteers who gave of their time to help feed families,” said Natalie McComb, president and CEO of United Way of Marion County, in a statement.
The local Publix Serves Day was part of the twice-yearly Publix Serves Week philanthropy drive spearheaded by the Winter Haven-founded supermarket chain known for giving back to communities.
The United Way of Marion County, whose mission is to mobilize the community to action through aggregation of resources wherever there is need, helped facilitate the partnership.