Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida has been closing the gap on hunger in the community for more than 30 years. Through its network of more than 550 local feeding partners in six counties, Second Harvest distributed 58 million meals (enough to feed 53,000 people a day) last year.
So who is hungry in our community? One in seven people in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake, Brevard, and Volusia counties are food insecure. One in five children are at risk of going to bed hungry at night. Brevard, Orange and Volusia counties have food insecurity rates that are higher than the national average. The Second Harvest website defines food insecurity as USDA’s measure of lack of access to enough food for an active, healthy life for all members of a household as well as limited or uncertain availability of nutritious food items.
Second Harvest works together with the food industry, farmers, the USDA and the general public to redirect an extraordinary amount of society’s extra food for people in need. Unfortunately, there remains a huge gap between the amount of food needed in Central Florida and the amount currently available. In fact, 78 million more meals a year are needed to fill that gap.
Tours of the food bank’s 100,000-square-foot Morgan & Morgan, P.A. Hunger Relief Center are available and are very informative. Other important food bank programs include the Darden Foundation Community Kitchen, which provides adults with vital job training skills and life skills for work in the culinary field. In this way, Second Harvest is seeking to help actually shorten the line of people needing help with food as well as feeding the line.
Second Harvest Food Bank relies entirely on donations of food, funds, and time to accomplish its mission for our struggling neighbors. Any or all of these methods of helping make a great difference.
How You Can Help
1. Donate money. Just $10 can provide 40 meals for individuals in need.
2. Donate food. Non-perishable food donations are always needed. Food companies can contribute both fresh and non-perishable items.
3. Donate time. Check the Second Harvest Food Bank website for the schedule and to register.