GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Mike Finnick paced the front of Winn-Dixie last Friday, studying every nook for the most advantageous location to collect food and school and pet supplies ahead of next month’s Clay County Agriculture Fair.

He didn’t take this decision lightly because his store’s participation in Our Fair Cares and The Taste of the Fair Day is the bedrock of Green Cove Springs’ Winn-Dixie’s annual community outreach.

“This is our sixth year. The Fair is a big deal around here,” the store manager said.

Winn-Dixie will sponsor The Taste the Fair Day on Monday, April 8. Finnick’s store will provide $1,000 of food, school materials and pet supplies to the same three nonprofits picked for Our Fair Cares – the Clothes Closet and Food Pantry, Clay Education Foundation and Clay County Animal Services. Customers who bring a Winn-Dixie receipt can get in for $7. Store employees will also help patrons download their apps and give away prizes.

Gates open at 2 p.m.

The following day, Winn-Dixie will return for Our Fair Cares.

All seven Winn-Dixie stores in the county now have large collection boxes for canned and non-perishable foods for the Clothes Closet and Food Pantry, school supplies for Clay Education Foundation and pet supplies for Clay County Animal Services. All donations will be delivered to the Fair on Tuesday, April 9.

Clay County Agriculture Fair Executive Director Tasha Hyder said Our Fair Cares has grown into one of the most important events of the Fair.

“The purpose of this program is to shine a light on our commitment to our community and to show appreciation to those that have given so much to us,” Hyder said.

This year, the fair will engage with local nonprofits to help organize a food drive and to ensure donations are locally dispersed.

The fair selected Clothes Closet and Food Pantry as its beneficiary for the canned goods this year. The Clothes Closet and Food Pantry provide patrons with canned meat and vegetables, fresh produce, rice, dry goods, peanut butter, pasta, and dairy products.

“We serve Orange Park and Fleming Island for the food pantry, and the rest of the county is for clothing,” said Pantry Board Chairman David Theus.

“As you’re aware, right now, when things are tough in your household, the last thing you need to come along with is inflation and supply chain issues, which drive the price up for food. The numbers have ticked up, including those who are hungry, need food and need clothing.

“They’re if they were on the crisis line before, they’re on it or over it now. And so that’s part of our challenge.”

The nonprofit believes assisting a family to meet basic needs and/or pay overdue rent or utilities can enable them to stand independently. By allowing people to stay in their homes, we prevent them from having to live on the street. It also strives to assist homeless and transient people by meeting immediate needs with food, clothing, toiletries and blankets.

Each year, hundreds of families are given financial assistance in their time of crisis. The organization provides clothing, food, linens, kitchenware, furniture, baby items, toys, books and $7,500 in financial assistance through St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Orange Park for overdue rent/utilities, medical needs or other special cases. It will provide referrals to other agencies if it can’t meet a particular need.

Theus said the Clothes Closet and Food Pantry fed 6,700 adults and children in 2023, and it spent $98,306 to purchase some of its food.

He said 90 people receive food daily – enough for three meals a day a person for a week. That adds up to 1,890 meals a week, and for the month, it can be as many as 49,000 total meals a month.

Everyone at the pantry is a volunteer, and collectively, they worked about 16,000 hours in 2023, Theus said.

The drive will also benefit Clay Education Foundation and Clay County Animal Services when fairgoers bring school supplies and pet food.

The Clay Education Foundation is a direct support nonprofit organization designed to strengthen public education in Clay County. By matching community resources with the needs of schools, we ensure teachers and students have the tools to reach their full potential. Dedicated to providing funding for programs and initiatives that tax dollars cannot cover, the Clay Education Foundation solicits funding for these programs from grants and private donors to supplement district budgets. This funding allows for innovation in the classroom, recognition, and programs to drive student success.

Nearly 99% of animals at Clay County Animal Services are adopted – one of the highest live release rates in the state, according to a study at the University of Florida. The county-maintained office has 79 kennels. When it reaches capacity, it sometimes offers free adoptions of pets that have been spayed, neutered, chipped, and received their shots to reduce stress and overcrowding.

 “If you bring anything within those three categories to the fair for our Fair Cares Day on April 4, you get $5 admission – and that’s more than half off,” Hyder said.

"You can bring items to the fairground. The Main Gate and the North Gate will be accepting donations.”

Receive $5 off admission with a donation of a bag of canned goods, pet food or school supplies. Gates open at 2 p.m.