Thank you for another successful Feed the Keys!
Nearly 7,000lbs of food donated – and we can’t thank you enough! Together, we helped stock local food pantries and provided meals for families and individuals across our community.
A heartfelt thank-you to our sponsors, partner collection sites, volunteers, staff, and everyone who made this event possible. Feed the Keys wouldn’t be such a success without your support. Watch the video below to see highlights from this year’s event. Your donations go a long way – and they’re needed now more than ever.
What is Feed the Keys?
Feed the Keys is a United Way of Collier and the Keys initiative honoring former Board Member “Mangrove Mike” Forster. The first “Be Like Mike” Day was held on October 21, 2022, what would have been Mike’s 62nd birthday. Since then, this annual tradition has continued with a focus on fighting hunger in the Florida Keys.
In 2025, roughly 7,000 pounds of food were collected. In 2023 and 2024, 14,309 pounds of food were collected. Feed the Keys gathers donations at dozens of partner collection sites and three main collection sites:
–Burton Memorial Church (BMC) in Tavernier
–KAIR (Keys Area Interdenominational Resources) in Marathon
–Star of the Sea Foundation (SOS) in Key West
Sponsorship Opportunities:
-Premier ($5,000 or more)
-Pacesetter ($2,500-$4,999)
-Leadership ($1,000-$2,499)
-Advocate ($500-$999)
-Supporter ($100-$499)
For questions, please email Laura.Collett@uwcollierkeys.org.
2025 Sponsors:
Pacesetter
Leadership
Advocate
Supporter
When you give back to the community, make sure to spread the good on social media with #FeedtheKeys.
Other Ways to Pay it Forward
scroll to read more
Children/Schools
Children/Schools
-Be kind to Keys kids by volunteering to tutor a child. Sign up to mentor a child in foster care. Donate toys, diapers, baby wipes or formula.
Organizations:
–Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition
–Grace Jones Community Center
–Florida Keys AHEC
Law Enforcement/Veterans
Law Enforcement/Veterans
-Drop off some treats at your local police or fire station. Donate to an organization that supports military veterans. Stop by to thank the security officer at your child’s school.
Organizations:
Four-Legged Friends
Four-Legged Friends
-Sign up to foster a rescue animal. Take a bag of food or cat litter to your local animal shelter. Volunteer to walk or play with animals at any shelter.
Organizations:
Beach Clean Up
Beach Clean Up
-Organize a beach cleanup or simply take a walk and pick up trash along your route!
-Volunteer with Reef Relief, who organized Be Like Mike Beach Clean Ups in 2023.
-Contact the Conch Republic Marine Army to join on one of their Saturday clean-up trips in the Lower Keys.