Steve Ferrell, a Lake County resident and musician, continues taking action to help raise money to support local hunger relief efforts. He has hosted an annual ‘Lunchtime Concert’ for the past 17 years, and his most recent event, he  raised $35,651 for Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. To learn more, visit FeedHopeNow.org.

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The Lake County Sheriff’s Office recently hosted a food drive drop-off for Second Harvest Food Bank to kick off the holiday season for area residents who might be struggling this Christmas season. Together with WESH-2 News, the food drive, held at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office South District office, 15855 State Road-50, Clermont was coordinated to help families with food insecurities throughout the holiday season.

The food drive drop-off is an annual event hosted by the sheriff’s office to assist food bank providers throughout Lake County in getting food to families that have found themselves in challenging circumstances during difficult financial times. The event is supported by individual citizens and area civic organizations that either purchase or collect shelf-stable foods that are then dropped off to volunteers at the collection site.

Stephanie Palacios, Director of Advocacy & Government Relations for Second Harvest Food Bank states that the efforts by Sheriff Peyton Grinnell and his sheriff’s office team are appreciated. “We would like to give a special shout-out to the sheriff for hosting us here and for providing us with so much support this year,” says Palacios.

With a Mission Statement “To create hope and nourish lives through a powerful hunger relief network, while multiplying the generosity of a caring community,” the Second Harvest Food Bank is a Central Florida nonprofit organization that collects, stores, and distributes donated food to more than 750 feeding partners in seven Central Florida counties, including Lake County.

Last year with the help of volunteers, the food bank distributed enough food for 76 million meals to partner programs such as food pantries, soup kitchens, women’s shelters, senior centers, day care centers and Kids Cafes.

The need for food support is a year-round necessity that requires the help of citizens and organizations alike to be successful.  Visit www.FeedHopeNow.org for more information on ways to volunteer, donate or stay connected with Second Harvest Food Bank.

The post Second Harvest Food Bank Kicks Off The Holiday Season appeared first on South Lake Tablet.

Wawa and Second Harvest’s “Fly Beyond” pilot program aims to reach more than 53,000 households over a 12-month through two of the food bank’s childhood hunger prevention initiatives: the School Partnerships and Summer Food Service programs

In addition to giving Second Harvest the ability to purchase and distribute more fresh produce, the funding will:

• Add 10 new Fresh Market sites at local schools
• Transform the Kids Pack initiative into a Family Weekend Meal Bag that will contain nutritious foods equal to 10 meals per household
• Enhance the Summer Food Service Program with a take home bag filled with fresh produce and other pantry staples each week
• Provide reusable and insulated tote bags for both programs
• Add customized display carts at 35 Fresh Market schools – making it easier for students to grab fresh produce as they head home

“Through this first-of-its-kind investment, Wawa is ensuring children in Central Florida have access to the nutritious wholesome food they need to thrive,” said Derrick Chubbs, President and CEO of Second Harvest. “Inflation is causing more families to make difficult decisions about what they can afford, and this partnership can help lessen worries about food costs.”

Robert Yeatts, Sr. Director of Florida Operations for Wawa said, “Fueling up takes on a whole new meaning with ‘Fly Beyond.’ We hope this new pilot program inspires goodness by making fresh, healthy foods conveniently available to families to create nutritious meals at home without worrying about how to afford it. Having greater access to fresh produce will improve the ability of kids in our communities to learn, lead and succeed.”

Throughout the year, Wawa’s culinary team will create recipes that feature many of the food items being distributed. Those recipes can be found online at the “Fly Beyond” landing page.

Wawa and Second Harvest intend to use the “Fly Beyond” pilot program and results as a road map for collaborations with other food banks or for others to implement similar programs.

For more information about how to support hunger relief efforts across Central Florida, visit www.FeedHopeNow.org.

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On Thursday, April 14, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. “Food for Thought” virtual tour participants will be given an inside look at the food bank’s active warehouse and distribution center via Zoom. The virtual session will demonstrate how Second Harvest distributes enough food for a quarter of a million meals a day. Attendees will also learn about the different programs Second Harvest maintains to help feed those facing food insecurity across Orange, Osceola, Lake, Seminole, Volusia and Brevard counties. Cost is FREE

REGISTER:  To register, visit the event page. For more information about Second Harvest, visit the organization’s website.

On Wednesday, April 20, from 6-7 pm, at Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida (411 Mercy Drive, Orlando) will host a “Food For Thought” Tour.

 “Food for Thought” tour participants will get an inside look at the food bank’s active warehouse and distribution center, seeing first-hand about how Second Harvest distributes enough food for a quarter of a million meals a day. Attendees will also learn about the different programs Second Harvest maintains to help feed those experiencing food insecurity across Orange, Osceola, Lake, Seminole, Volusia and Brevard counties.

The Cost is FREE and A snack box will be offered to tour participants.

To register for a “Food for Thought” tour, visit www.FeedHopeNow.Org/Tour  or  visit the event page. For more information about Second Harvest, visit the organization’s website.

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On Saturday, May 21^st, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida will host its first-ever Ultimate Garden Party fundraising event to support the nonprofit’s mission of ending hunger. At the event, which will be held from 1-5 p.m. at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando, hunger advocates will Escape to Elegance during an event featuring live entertainment, delicious hors d’oeuvres and specialty libations. Dapper attire is encouraged.

“Now, more than ever, we need the support of our donors to meet the need in our community,” said Carralyce Buford, Event Committee Chair. “As our biggest fundraising event of the year, The Ultimate Garden Party will offer guests a fun afternoon, and more importantly, an opportunity to make a meaningful impact in support of a critical mission – fighting hunger in our community.”

The event, sponsored in part by WESH 2 News, will also feature:

• Picture Perfect Photo Booth sponsored by Orlando Health
• Orlando Magic’s Games Lounge
• Special VIP cocktails sponsored by Kroger

Second Harvest is expecting more than 400 attendees and has set a goal to raise $250,000, which equates to one million meals. This event replaces the nonprofit’s previous annual fundraiser, Wine, Women & Shoes. 

An estimated one in seven Central Florida residents is at risk of going to bed hungry on any given night. Since March 2020, Second Harvest has increased food distribution efforts in direct response to a need for more assistance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information about the event, including when tickets will be available to purchase, visitwww.UltimateGardenParty.org.

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About Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida (SHFBCF)
SHFBCF is a member of Feeding America – the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the United States. SHFBCF secures and distributes food and grocery products to approximately 550 local nonprofit feeding programs throughout Central Florida. In the past year, with the help of food and financial donors, volunteers and a caring, committed community, the food bank has distributed enough food for 96 million meals to partner programs such as food pantries, soup kitchens, women’s shelters, senior centers, day care centers and Kids Cafes. In addition, Second Harvest’s 16-week culinary program teaches foodservice-based technical, life and employability skills to economically hard-pressed adults at no cost to them. Second Harvest is distributing enough food for a quarter of a million meals every day to the six-county service area. To learn more about SHFBCF, visit www.FeedHopeNow.org.

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From making new friends to making it to school on time, students have plenty to worry about on a day-to-day basis.

One thing they shouldn’t have to worry about is getting enough to eat. But according to the most recent data, approximately 1 in 5 children in Central Florida is living with food insecurity. They and their families may not know where their next meal will come from.

For some kids, it really is a matter of not having enough food at home. They may rely on free and reduced lunch at school to get through the day or find excuses to stay over at a friend’s house for dinner. Others may not technically be “missing meals” – but instead don’t get enough healthy options to fuel their bodies, which can impact achievement in the long-run.

According to Feeding America, children from food-insecure families are likely to have lower math scores and are more likely to repeat a grade. That’s no surprise: It’s hard to focus on fractions when you’re hearing a rumble in your stomach during class.

Hunger is also linked to chronic health problems throughout life, including hypertension, obesity, diabetes and heart disease. In areas where food is scarce, or money is tight, fresh produce is one of the first items crossed off a shopping list. After all, healthy ingredients are more expensive overall, they take more effort to plan and prepare, and they’re more likely to spoil and go to waste than highly processed foods.

It’s a serious problem, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Even when food assistance is available, students may not know about it – or they may think they don’t qualify. Social stigma can also be a big stumbling block, especially for older children and teens. If they must fill out a form, go to a different building, or approach a school administrator to get access to help, they probably won’t.

But that doesn’t mean there’s not a solution. The best strategy is to keep it low-pressure and low-profile: Focus on establishing a positive relationship with the student first; then, put them in touch with programs in your area designed to take the stigma out of food assistance.

If we can connect kids with healthy food in school clubs and classrooms, without requiring proof of financial difficulty or an opt-in form, that removes some of the barriers to access. Another strategy is giving kids a say in the resources designed to help them. Some Florida schools are piloting open-access pantries run “by students, for students” as part of a credited class.

Other initiatives are looking at quality of food, and not just quantity. At “Fresh Market” programs, schools partner with local organizations to host after-school farmers-market-style events where kids can try unfamiliar fruits and vegetables (and take some home for dinner.)

There may be a long road ahead when it comes to solving school hunger, but it starts by making food access fun, approachable and open to everyone. To learn more about Second Harvest’s campaigns to leave no child hungry – and how you can help – visit www.FeedHopeNow.org.

Elizabeth Santiago is the School Partnerships Program Manager at Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.

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“Just because I have a car doesn’t mean I have enough money to buy food.” This quote, featured in a 2020 New York Times headline, offers a glimpse at the true face of hunger in America – and it’s not what you might expect.

For most adults, the touchstone for “economic disaster” in our country is the 2007-2009 “Great Recession” – a long, slow slog through high unemployment and financial insecurity. But lessons from that crisis don’t necessarily apply here. Back then, we saw a rise in hunger that was spread out over several years, concentrated mainly in low-income populations that had already been facing food insecurity.

Not so during the pandemic. As millions of Americans lost their jobs to closures and layoffs, demand spiked overnight at emergency food providers across the nation. What’s more alarming, many of the families seeking help were facing hunger for the first time. They had never imagined going to a community pantry before.

While it appears we’re on the mend, lines of people at local nonprofit food providers aren’t getting any shorter than they were this time last year.

Why? Florida’s low unemployment rate, which is around 6%, is promising, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. Employers are hiring, but many available jobs are low wage. People have lost any savings they might have had before the pandemic. And as they try to recover, get out of debt, and find their way back to financial security, food is sometimes a negotiable expense.

After all, you can’t forgo paying the rent. You can’t let the power get disconnected. But you can skip meals to cover the difference – and sometimes, your kids have to skip meals, too.

Hunger relief programs can help soften the blow by providing fresh groceries, pantry staples, and nutritious meals to families in need. But it’s a challenge to keep up with the increased demand. At Second Harvest, we’re distributing enough food for 300,000 meals a day, double our average distribution before the pandemic. We’re on track to provide more than 100 million meals this year.

What will it take to get us back to normal? It’s hard to say – but “normal” isn’t what we should strive for.

Even going into the pandemic, Florida never had 100 percent food security. Despite all our efforts, there was a gap in meals – in the multimillions – that left one in seven Floridians food insecure. COVID-19 only cast a harsher light on issues that have always existed in our community: a lack of affordable housing, a rising cost of living, stagnant wages, and a large proportion of our population living paycheck-to-paycheck.

Recovering from those problems is going to be a marathon – not a sprint. And it will take more than just nonprofits, public officials, and activists: We’ll need the whole community to come together and work toward change.

If you’re willing to step up and help, you can make an impact. Do you have some extra time on your hands? Sign up (it’s easy to do online) and volunteer to pack lunches or sort supplies at Second Harvest’s warehouse. If time is tight, consider making a monthly donation pledge instead. One dollar donated allows us to provide nine dollars worth of food to families in need.

Second Harvest is making a difference, but we can’t do it alone. To find out more and get involved, visit www.feedhopenow.org.

The post The Pandemic, the Recession, and Hunger: What We’ve Learned appeared first on South Lake Tablet.

On Tuesday, January 19, participants who register for the “Food for Thought” virtual tour will be granted access to the organization’s warehouse via Zoom to see how the food bank has been able to distribute enough food for 300,000 meals a day. Attendees will also hear about the different programs Second Harvest maintains to help feed anyone who faces food insecurity across Orange, Osceola, Lake, Seminole, Volusia and Brevard counties.

Since mid-March, Second Harvest has doubled its daily distribution numbers as a direct result of the economic impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization needs the community’s help more than ever to continue at these elevated levels. In November, the food bank reached its 50 millionth meal served since the start of the pandemic.

For more information about signing up for a “Food for Thought” tour, visit www.FeedHopeNow.Org/Tour.

WHEN:         January 19, 2021, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.

WHERE:       This event is virtual via Zoom. A secure link will be sent to attendees prior to the start of the tour. Participants will not appear on video or audio unless they choose to enable these features.

REGISTER:  To register, visit the event page. For more information about the nonprofit, visit Second Harvest’s website.

COST:          Free

The post Second Harvest Food Bank Of Central Florida Offering Virtual “Food For Thought” Tours (January 19) appeared first on South Lake Tablet.

Since mid-March, Second Harvest has been distributing enough food for 300,000 meals per day – double what the nonprofit was providing before COVID-19 shut down the tourism and hospitality industries. As a major supporter of Second Harvest’s efforts, Publix has provided nearly $351,000 in monetary contributions, 1.9 million pounds of shelf-stable products and 1.2 million pounds of fresh produce to help fight hunger in the last fiscal year.

“It has been our privilege to support hunger relief throughout the Southeast for many years now, and this work has never been more important,” said Publix CEO Todd Jones. “We are grateful for the opportunity to support Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and to alleviate hunger in the communities we serve and bring hope to those who need it most during these uncertain times.”

The $225,000 donation from Publix Charities to Second Harvest is one of several donations made this year to help provide food and other essential support to those hardest hit by the pandemic. In all, Publix Charities has donated $5 million to Feeding America member food banks and other nonprofit partners in 2020.

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