Archive for January, 2010

January 13, 2010

Participants in Second Harvest Food Bank’s Kids Cafe learned the fine art of Pie Making (and Pie Eating!)

Author: Maria Diestro

Central Florida children served by Kids Cafe – an after school nutritional program operated by Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida – became bakers-in-training on Tuesday, January 10 at Midway Safe Harbor Center. Midway Safe Harbor Center is located in Sanford, Florida.

Yesterday, a group of around 50 kids learned how to make and enjoy homemade pies! The American Pie Council’s Board was also there to teach the basic cooking skills and prep work, such as rolling dough.

Pie making is geared toward elementary-school age children. The American Pie Council will be making pies again in April for the Great American Pie Festival.  For more information, visit the American Pie Council.

Watch a video of the kids at work:

Photo Slideshow of Pie Making:

Maria Diestro
Online Services and Communications Manager

January 13, 2010

Dave Krepcho Named 2009 Central Floridian of The Year

Author: Maria Diestro

Second Harvest’s President & CEO, Dave Krepcho, Honored by the Orlando Sentinel – Receives 2009 Central Floridian of The Year Award

Our own Dave Krepcho is this year’s recipient of the Orlando Sentinel’s “Central Floridian of The Year” award.

Now in its 27^th year, the designation recognizes the contributions of an individual or a group. “These are people who embody the best in us. People of conviction. Of charity. Of vision. Of service. It’s important to celebrate their contributions,” noted the Orlando Sentinel.

The award went to Dave in honor of his valuable contributions and commitment to the fight against hunger throughout Central Florida. “His transformation of Second Harvest from warehouse to a nimble force for fighting regional hunger is why Krepcho has been named the 2009 Central Floridian of the Year,” said Darryl Owens, member of the Orlando Sentinel editorial board.
“Krepcho downplays his role, crediting frontline workers. But his voice in branding hunger as a community imperative is undeniable.”

Read the full Orlando Sentinel article. 

View the video below:

January 12, 2010

Tough Choices

Author: Greg Higgerson

Like my friend and colleague Brady Koch, I too am taking the Pound for Pound Challenge to become healthier by losing weight in 2010.  And to help raise a few bucks for Second Harvest Food Bank.

And like most people who set out to shed excess weight, I’ve developed some personal strategies and goals around the process. Naturally, most of these involve changes in the choices that I make about both food and exercise. As I think about the changes I’m making in these two areas, I am reminded just how fortunate I am to be in an economic position that allows me to choose and purchase foods that are healthier for me.  

So many of our neighbors in Central Florida face extremely limited food choices based simply on their ability to pay. They must stretch their resources to buy the less-expensive, less-nutritious foods that we know can contribute to obesity and a wide range of associated health problems.  

 The University of Washington’s Center for Public Health Nutrition has conducted a number of fascinating studies on social and economic disparities in health and the links between obesity and poverty. 

One of these studies (2007) examined the price, calories, and relative nutritional value of more than 400 typical grocery items. For the items at the low-end of the nutritional scale (high sugar, starch, empty calories— think “junk” food), it was found that the average cost per 1,000 calories was $1.73. At the other end of that nutritional spectrum, the highly nutritious foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, dairy products, etc. averaged more than $17.00 per 1,000 calories. 

Since a typical family of four (two adults and two children) has a total weekly calorie need of somewhere around 50,000 calories, it’s not difficult to see how low-income families must make less healthy food choices just to meet the calorie need on the money they have. Instead of spending $4 on one red bell pepper, for example, they’ll use those same dollars to purchase 6 boxes of macaroni and cheese.  

Other studies have shown that people in low-income families often exercise up to 25% less than others in our population; a result of  living in neighborhoods that feel less than safe. Think “less time outdoors.” Instead of going out for a brisk walk, bike ride,or tennis, many people are inside their apartments with the doors locked.  

Why is it important to think about these things? Well, I believe it’s important because of the pervasiveness of the negative stereotypes that exist of obese people who live in poverty in our country. We sometimes hear sentiments along the lines of “How dare these people presume to ask me or anyone else for assistance with food, when they’re obviously eating too much already?”  

I understand the counterintuitive nature of this issue, but when the facts are examined, there is simply no question that millions of Americans don’t walk on the same playing field as others do when it comes to the nutritional quality of one of life’s most basic necessities. I hope that more people will take that into consideration before they pass a quick judgment.  

At Second Harvest Food Bank, we’re working hard to make certain that more low-income families than ever before have access to the high-nutrition type foods that they must routinely walk past in the supermarket. We have a long way to go in this regard, but like a familiar grocery retailer’s familiar slogan, we are definitely “getting better all the time.”     

Wish me luck on my weight transformation—I’m going to need it:).

Greg Higgerson
VP of Development

January 7, 2010

New Year, New Program

Author: Brady Koch

Happy New Years!

Many of us have made a commitment to live a healthier life in 2010. For me, I’ll be involved in the Pound for Pound Challenge. For the food bank, it involves hiring a Nutrition Manager.   Next week I will begin to sort through all of the applications we’ve received for the new Nutrition Manager position we’re hiring at the food bank. This blog gives me the unique opportunity to include you in our program development process from design to implementation to evaluation.

 Before we begin any new program we complete a thorough research process that includes needs analysis, best practices studies, and pilot programs. One of the greatest benefits of our membership with Feeding America is access to the nationwide network of food banks throughout America. Combining ideas from the network and listening to the needs of our own agencies we are able to take this list of possible nutritionist tasks and whittle it down to a program with a specific strategic plan and outcomes. Here’s what we’ve determined to be our areas of focus for our Nutrition Manager:

•  Nutrition Education for Program participants: The food bank’s Strategic plan has an entire section devoted to our commitment to address the Childhood Obesity challenges faced specifically by children in food insecure households. Research continues to prove that children in low-income households consistently have a high rate of obesity. One of the main reasons for this is that the foods that are the healthiest happen to also be the most expensive. If the closest food store to your house is the gas station or convenience store, then your dollar is going to stretch even thinner. 
• Nutrition Analysis of our program food: Every year, about 10% of our food is acquired through our Power Purchase Center in order to provide participating agencies menu consistency. Our Nutritionist would be able to analyze the food we purchase and determine possible alternatives to make sure the items we can select for purchase is nutritionally optimal.

Like any of our programs, the Nutrition program will evolve with the community’s needs. It’s especially exciting to get the person in the position and see them run with the program that we’ve been honing for months. I’ll be sure to fill you in with another progress report once we hire the best candidate!

Brady Koch
Director of Agency Relations & Programs

January 7, 2010

Portraits for Food

Author: Maria Diestro

During the holidays local celebrity photographer Brook Pifer came up with a creative way to join the fight against hunger.

The event was called Portraits for Food. Brooke offered to take a complimentary portrait in exchange for either a non-perishable food donation or a financial contribution made to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. Participants ended up receiving their portraits via email. 

The event took place on Thursday, December 10 in her Orlando photo studio. Promotion for the event was done via her blog and twitter account. Brook works with celebrities, commercial clients and magazines worldwide. According to her blog, they plan to do this event again next year.

We are so grateful at how involved the Central Florida community gets during the holidays. We just wanted to share an example of how one person with a camera in hand can make a difference in our community.

Below is a video recap of that day.

BEHIND THE LENS: Portraits For Food

Below are some of the portraits taken from that day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View the rest of the the portraits on her blog.

Maria Diestro
Online Services and Communications Manager