Marion County Holds Bring the Harvest Home on the Downtown Square

Yoslandy Herrera of Marion County Fire Rescue, center, carries donated food as Commissioner Kathy Bryant, right, talks with Keller Williams realtor Crystal McCall, left, who donated food and money during the Bring The Harvest Home food drive on the Ocala Downtown Square. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

Ryan Park of the Ocala Police Department, James Maurer of Marion County Fire Rescue and Robert Graff, the MCFR Division Chief of Operations, left to right, weigh donated food. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

Marion County concluded its Bring the Harvest Home holiday food drive on Ocala’s Downtown Square Dec. 4, collecting 13,000 pounds of donated items to benefit Interfaith Emergency Services, Brother’s Keeper and the Salvation Army.

Marion County Commissioner Kathy Bryant has spearheaded the initiative since its inception in 2011.

“I want to extend my sincerest gratitude to the many people who make this event possible each year, especially those in this community who contributed items and made our 2020 event a success,” Bryant said. “Despite the many hardships so many faced this year, the people of this great community came through in a big way to ensure those in need would be served and provided for this holiday.”

Yoslandy Herrera of Marion County Fire Rescue, center, carries donated food as Commissioner Kathy Bryant, right, talks with Keller Williams realtor Crystal McCall, left, who donated food and money during the Bring The Harvest Home food drive on the Ocala Downtown Square. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

The City of Ocala, Marion County Fire Rescue, Ocala Fire Rescue, the Ocala Police Department, Florida Highway Patrol, Marion County’s Sheriff, Tax Collector, Clerk of Court, Property Appraiser and Supervisor of Elections offices, as well as the many elected officials and private businesses participate in the event each year.

All 13,000 pounds of non-perishable food items, baby supplies and toiletry items collected over the course of the Bring the Harvest Home drive will be distributed equally between Interfaith Emergency Services, Brother’s Keeper and the Salvation Army.

Next year’s event will be the 10th annual Bring the Harvest Home.