St. Augustine Society named Florida finalist for Chick-fil-A grant

The St. Augustine Society has been named the only Florida-based Southeast finalist for a 2027 Chick-fil-A True Inspiration Regional Award, putting it in line for a $200,000 grant after Sept. 1-30 voting in the Chick-fil-A app. The nonprofit says the funding would help sustain meals, shelter and housing services for people facing hunger and housing instability in St. Johns County.

Why it matters: - The St. Augustine Society could win $200,000 to expand and stabilize food purchases, kitchen operations and meal distribution across its three programs. - The grant would help the nonprofit keep meals consistent as community donations fluctuate and demand stays high. - The award spotlights a local nonprofit serving people facing hunger, homelessness and housing instability in St. Johns County.

What happened: - The St. Augustine Society was named a finalist for a 2027 Chick-fil-A True Inspiration Regional Award. - The St. Johns County nonprofit is the only Florida-based organization in the Southeast up for the grant. - Chick-fil-A Owner/Operator Wayne Efford nominated the St. Augustine Society after working with its “From Hunger to Housing” approach for nearly a decade. - Finalists receive a $35,000 grant and remain eligible for an additional $200,000 grant. - Voting opens Tuesday, Sept. 1 and runs through Wednesday, Sept. 30. - Voting happens once per person in the Chick-fil-A app, available on the App Store or Google Play.

The details: - The True Inspiration Awards program launched in 2015 to honor Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy. - The program gives annual grants to nonprofits making an impact in their local communities. - The St. Augustine Society has operated since 1984. - The organization serves individuals, youth and families experiencing hunger and housing instability. - Its three programs are St. Francis Housing Crisis Center, Port in the Storm Homeless Youth Center and SOS Street Outreach. - St. Francis Housing Crisis Center provides emergency shelter, daily meals and housing-focused services. - Port in the Storm Homeless Youth Center provides meals, shelter and structured support for unaccompanied youth. - SOS Street Outreach delivers meals directly to people living unsheltered. - From Jan. 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2025, the organization served 3,203 individuals across its three programs. - During that period, the St. Augustine Society sheltered 2,278 people and provided 499,638 meals. - In the first half of 2026, 48% of people served at St. Francis Housing Crisis Center exited to positive housing situations. - In the first half of 2026, 50% of people served at Port in the Storm exited to positive housing situations. - The nonprofit estimates it serves about 1,000 individuals a year. - Demand is expected to remain high in 2027 because of ongoing community need and the addition of the Goff Family Shelter this year. - The Goff Family Shelter provides temporary housing for adults with minor children. - The two St. Augustine Chick-fil-A locations have donated more than 100,000 pounds of food over time.

Between the lines: - The finalist spot reflects a long-running local relationship between Efford’s Chick-fil-A locations and the nonprofit’s housing-first food model. - The voting period gives the nonprofit a chance to turn community support into a larger, recurring funding boost. - The numbers suggest the nonprofit is using meals as an entry point to housing and case management, not just emergency food service. - Joy Case, director of development, said food is the first point of connection for people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity and can open the door to shelter and services. - Wayne Efford said the partnership has included in-kind food donations, gift cards and team volunteerism at the St. Francis House’s Chef’s Night Out.

What's next: - St. Augustine Society supporters can vote in the Chick-fil-A app from Sept. 1 through Sept. 30. - The nonprofit will use any grant funding to support food and meal services tied to its shelter and outreach programs. - A win would help the organization scale services as need continues into 2027.

The bottom line: - The St. Augustine Society has a chance to turn app votes into major funding for one of St. Johns County’s core anti-hunger and housing-stability providers.