Archive for the 'Photos' Category

August 30, 2011

The Hurricane Did Hit Florida

Author: Dave Krepcho

We may have dodged hurricane “Irene”; however, we’re being slammed with a different one… a hurricane of hunger. This powerful storm has been affecting Central Florida for some time now. Last week, we saw its unwelcome effects in the form of a line of 1,239 people in need of food.

Last week, we launched our Mobile Pantry program in Seminole County at Pine Crest Elementary School. This amazing program is possible through the generosity of Kraft Foods. Also, along to help was Winn-Dixie, an ongoing partner in the fight against hunger.

The Mobile Pantry is designed to be just that, a pantry on wheels. A brand new refrigerated truck provided by Kraft loaded with the most nutritious foods available such as fresh fruits and vegetables. We had thousands of blue berries, strawberries, carrots, bags of potatoes … all kinds of great food. Read More …

August 23, 2011

Blogging for Good

Author: Maria Diestro

In case you haven’t heard yet, Taste of the Nation Orlando raised $167,500 to help fight hunger in Central Florida. The local beneficiaries for this foodie event are Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida and Florida Impact.

Close to 2,000 people at the World Center Marriott enjoyed delicious food prepared by 36 top Central Florida restaurants. The event was emceed by DJ’s Scott McKenzie of Mix 105.1 and Paco of 1059 Sunny FM. This year, the event even held a cooking “throw-down” sponsored by Creekstone Farms. Thanks to our sponsors, all the chefs and our hard working committee, we had an unforgetable Taste of the Nation. Read More …

July 25, 2011

Because Hunger Doesn’t Take a Vacation

Author: Maria Diestro

I recently accompanied Santos Maldonado, our Childhood Hunger Programs Manager to take pictures of some of our Summer Feeding sites. Second Harvest currently sponsors 20 sites. Working with a major local food vendor, we are able to provide meals and snacks to children in low-income areas during the critical time when they lack access to school cafeterias.

As compared to June 2010, meals distributed doubled, from 12,642 to 25,753, making this the largest monthly increase since the program began. I will make sure to post an update for July when those numbers are available. I also learned that one of our most satisfying development this year is the expansion into Osceola County, specifically along the 192 corridor where many children of homeless families live in the motels. Read More …

May 24, 2011

We are all HOGstars!

Author: Sasha Hausman

Definition of a HOGstar (noun), a person who supported the Hogs Against Hunger fundraiser and ride to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida’s Hi-Five program. 

Hogstars come in many different forms. Some purchased raffle tickets online or at an event. Some shared or retweeted about the fundraiser. Some came out to participate in a ride down I-4 last Sunday. Some sold tickets in the Harley stores, and some volunteered to spread the word. Finally some spent tireless hours organizing and working the events. But no matter what kind of HOGstar you were, you were able to help raise over $45,000 to feed children in need in our community by purchasing $10 raffle tickets to win a 2011 Harley-Davidson Road King Classic.

What does $45,000 look like? Read More …

May 5, 2011

Second Harvest Receives a visit from Disney’s “Shine On” Prize Patrol

Author: Maria Diestro

On Tuesday, April 19th Second Harvest Food Bank had a very special guest visit our facility. Rumors of two big ears and white gloves spotted in our board room circulated our office emails that morning. By 10 am, everyone at Second Harvest had caught a glimpse of Mickey Mouse walking down our hallways.

As part of a 40-day celebration across Central Florida, Disney is shining a spotlight on organizations that improve the lives of children in our community. Mickey made a surprise visit to Second Harvest to recognize and reward our efforts in the work we do to combat childhood hunger. We were lucky to share the stage with Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, New Beginnings and the Hope Foundation. All four organizations received a special gift totaling $120,000.

 Second Harvest received $50,000 from Disney’s Helping Kids Shine Grant! We are so grateful to be one of the beneficiaries of Disney’s generosity. With Disney’s support, we are going to be able to provide hundreds of thousands of meals to kids in need. Read More …