A building in the heart of Cocoa Village will soon house The Children’s Hunger Project (TCHP) on a permanent basis. Southeast Petro, along with the Shah family, is donating 100% of the equity of the building to The Children’s Hunger Project. The donation is estimated to be approximately $500,000.

TCHP credits Southeast Petro, the Shah family, a legacy gift received in 2018, and donations from other local businesses and contractors who have donated time and services to include MH Williams, Eleven 18, CEG, and Art Kraft Signs, for the move.

This move will increase number of children that can be served to continue to meet the goals of their mission.

For the past 6 years The Children’s Hunger Project has been operating out of the Bruce Nelson Child Hunger Center located next to Cocoa/Coastal Hyundai rent-free thanks to the generosity of the late Bruce Nelson and family.

Summit Shah, president of Southeast Petro, said he and his family joined the ranks of other donors after seeing what the nonprofit was doing to feed Brevard’s elementary-age children on weekends when they were not receiving meals at school. “After that first visit, and seeing firsthand the tremendous impact that this group was having in the community, who was I to say that I didn’t have the time? I agreed to join the board, and the rest is history,” Shah said.

The building has received an exterior coat of paint, and the interior work is in progress. The completion date is expected to be during the first quarter of 2022.

The Children’s Hunger Project assists elementary schools by providing weekend nourishment, allowing students to arrive at school with a better foundation for learning. In Brevard County, the number of children in the free and reduced-price meal program exceeds 50%. Many children are on the free and reduced-price meal program, putting them at danger of childhood hunger and malnutrition.

Since its inception in 2010 beginning with one school serving 27 students, TCHP has not missed a single week of supplying meals. Every week, TCHP serves over 2,900 Brevard County students in 47 elementary schools, and it collaborates with United Way of Brevard for the summer break’s “Feed and Read” program. Hundreds of local volunteers have contributed to the organization’s growth over the years, as well as substantial gifts and support from the community, church organizations, local businesses, civic groups, and grants.

Southeast Petro Distributors, Inc. is one of the largest wholesale fuel suppliers and multi-site convenience store operators in the Southeast. The multi-generational family business, established in 1980, now supplies fuel to 450+ gas stations throughout the Southeastern United States, employing over 200 people across the three states in which it operates. They have held fundraisers for TCHP children in the past, to include an employee Dunk Tank and the Giving Pump.