Daystar Life Center

Addressing food insecurity: Daystar's client choice healthy pantry and organic farm is open 5 days per week and provides nutritious food for over 26,000 low to moderate income pinellas county residents, which is 25% of the county's food insecure households. Our farm yields over two tons of produce annually. In addition to food, the pantry provides high-cost basic hygiene needs to struggling families such as clothing, diapers, feminine hygiene, incontinent products, body wash, laundry soap,and pet food.

Financial literacy & nutrition education: Daystar provides one-to-one financial literacy coaching. 6 out of every 30 participating households achieve two out of these three milestones: saving 500, improved credit score, and maintaining a positive balance savings account within 12 months. Our kids eat program provides gardening experiences, nutrition classes and take-home materials to children to combat poor nutrition often experienced by those who rely on food pantry services. Over 100 low-income children benefit from this service. In 2023, our seedlings to neighbors program provided 65 residents living in a designated food desert with the education, supplies, and peer mentorship needed to create their own residenital mini farms, improving access to fresh and healthy food.

Financial stability & homelessness prevention: Daystar addresses financial instability for families who have experienced a recent financial trauma and are at risk of homelessness. Our programs provide short-term gap service, such as rent and utility assistance while simultaneously partnering with the household members to guide them through financial literacy and personalized empowerment activities that will help them create a safety net and give them the knowledge, tools, and confidence required to achieve financial stability. Daystar has achieved a 63% re-stabilization success rate,meaning 5 out of every 8 households have been able to exit financial crisis mode within 12 months.