“Rock The Pantries” Food Drives Collect Over 31,000 Pounds of Food for Local St. Johns County Food Pantries
Dual drives at The St. Augustine Amphitheatre and Ponte Vedra Concert Hall support 13 local food pantries
Note: This media release is published with permission from the SJCCE and through the public-private partnership of the SJCCE and the County.
St. Augustine, FL (November 17, 2025) – In an extraordinary display of community generosity, the “Rock the Pantries” Food Drives collected 31,200 pounds of food in a single day helping restock shelves at 13 local food pantries across St. Johns County. Hosted by SJC Cultural Events, Inc. (SJCCE), the dual food drives were held Friday, November 14 at The St. Augustine Amphitheatre and Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, where vehicles arrived continuously throughout the day with donations of canned vegetables, soups, beans, rice, peanut butter, cooking oils, and more.
The outpouring of support for neighbors in need from St. Johns County residents and businesses was profound. Within hours, pallets of food were stacked high, ready to make an immediate impact. On Saturday, November 15, St. Johns County Commissioners Sarah Arnold and Christian Whitehurst joined SJCCE staff and community volunteers to distribute donations to: Epic-Cure, Pie in the Sky Community Alliance, Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County, St. Francis House, St. Augustine Youth Services, Betty Griffin House, St. Johns Food Pantry, Flagler Estates Pentecostal, Hineni Messianic Fellowship, Salvation Army, SEA Community Center, We Feed St. Augustine, and The Simon’s House.
“What an incredible success this was,” said St. Johns County Commissioner Sarah Arnold. “To help distribute more than 31,000 pounds of food to pantries that are in dire need is truly remarkable. Thank you to everyone in St. Johns County who donated – you answered the call to help your neighbors. Our community really showed up in a big way.”
Many local food banks and distribution programs are experiencing record-high demand, reporting sharp increases in food requests by families and individuals. “At distribution sites, we’re seeing more than a 100% increase in attendance from people in need of help,” explained Sunny Mulford, Executive Director of Epic-Cure. “The response from our community was amazing,” said Gabe Pellicer, CEO & President of SJC Cultural Events, Inc. “These donations will make an immediate impact on St. Johns County residents in need. We are honored to be of service to the community and we’re grateful to everyone who helped make this effort such a success.”
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