August 24, 2010

Portraits of Hunger Photography Contest is Back

Author: Maria Diestro

Can you believe that Hunger Action Month is only 7 days away? One Hunger Action Month event we are bringing back is Portraits of Hunger. Portraits of Hunger is an online photography contest that brings light to the invisible problem of hunger in our community and the simple solutions.

Portraits of Hunger started in 2006 as a way to engage the community in bringing visibility to the invisible problem of hunger. Through this event, photographers of all abilities have gone out into their community to capture images that tell the story of hunger in Central Florida.

Last year 17 photographers participated in Portraits of Hunger. We received some pretty amazing photos of the faces and solutions of hunger in Central Florida. Below is a slideshow of their photo entries:

The winner of Portraits of Hunger 2009 was G.K. Sharman for her photograph titled: Courage.  

This year’s winner of Portraits of Hunger will have their photo displayed at Enzian Theater for a limited time. This is a great opportunity for a photographer to get some exposure. Thank you Enzian Theater!

So how does this photography contest work? The deadline to submit photos for Portraits of Hunger is Monday, August 30, 2010.

If you are interested, there is still time to enter the contest.  Click here to enter contest >>

From there the top ten photos will be chosen and posted on our website.

Online voting will start in early September. The top 3 winners will then be voted on by our three judges.

This year’s Portraits of Hunger judges are:
- Henry Maldonado, President of Enzian Theater
- Josh Garrick, Fine Art and Culture Writer for a series of news and on-line venues
- Dave Krepcho, President of Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida

The winner will be announced at our Portraits of Hunger Showcase party at Enzian’s Eden Bar on Thursday, September 30. All the photo entries will also be showcased at Eden Bar for that night.

Portraits of Hunger Showcase Party
Date: Thursday, September 30, 2010
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Enzian’s Eden Bar – 1300 South Orlando Avenue, Maitland, FL 32751
Bring a food donation and receive a free Peroni. One free Peroni per person. But feel free to bring as many cans as you’d like!

Click here to view photos from last year’s Portraits of Hunger Showcase. Hope to see you at Eden Bar on September 30!

Maria Diestro
Online Services and Communications Manager

September 17, 2009

14 More Days Left of Hunger Action Month

Author: Maria Diestro

I can’t believe that Hunger Action Month is halfway over.  There are only 14 more days left in September and the days are moving fast. We aim to finish the month with a bang!  Thank you for spreading the word about Hunger Action Month. If you haven’t yet, please send this ecard to all of your family and friends and encourage them to support the fight against hunger.

Portraits of Hunger Update!  Our online voting contest ends this Friday. Drumroll .. the top three photos as of 2 p.m. this afternoon are: Snack Time Smiles, Courage, Loneliness (in no particular order). Voting ends tomorrow at 5 p.m. Click here to vote! Don’t forget that you can vote more than once.  

Its time to continue with our Hunger Action Month Ways to Fight Hunger Countdown :

#13 Way to Fight Hunger: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Sony Pictures new movie “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” is helping raise awareness about domestic hunger with children and their parents. By becoming a Hunger Helper like the characters in the movie,  kids learn about hunger and how they can make a difference in their community.  Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs hits theaters this Friday.

Feeding America has also created an area on their Web site where kids can become hunger helpers.  One feature of the site is the Food Catcher game. For every gold apple that you catch Sony will donate 1 meal to Feeding America. I have only been able to get 3 apples, I hope you can do better than me. Once you finish, you even get a certificate that you can print out with your name on it. What a creative way to get kids involved in the fight for hunger!

PSA video of Flint explaining why its fun to be a Hunger Helper:
 

#12 Way to Fight Hunger: Cheesecake Factory Drive Out Hunger Tour
During Hunger Action Month, The Cheesecake Factory will visit 30 cities in 30 days on the “Drive Out Hunger” Tour collecting soup cans in support of Feeding America and Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. David Arquette helped launch the tour in LA on September 1 (picture to the left).

 The grand finale party is going to be in Washington D.C. on September 30. We hope you get involved in this amazing campaign.

There are 3 ways that you can participate:

1. Orlando Tour Stop. The Drive Out Hunger Tour will be at the Cheesecake Factory at The Mall of Millenia on Monday, September 21 from 7 a.m til 10 p.m.  The first 500 people that bring in 2 cans of soup will get a free slice of Stefanie’s Ultimate Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake. XL106.7 will also be there providing some entertainment. Tamar Kaprelian – a former Cheesecake Factory staff member, now an accomplished singer/songwriter – will also be there.  Her hit song, “New Day” was featured on the popular MTV series “The Hills,” and is now the driving anthem behind the ‘Drive Out Hunger’ Tour. A portion of her song’s sales are going to Feeding America in September. 
 
2. You Dine, We Donate Event. Just bring 2 cans of soup when you dine on September 30th, and Cheescake Factory will donate 10% of your check to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.

3. Buy Stefanie’s Ultimate Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake. When you buy a slice, Cheesecake Factory will done 25 cents to Feeding America. If you buy online, Cheesecake Factory will donate a $1.

Stop by the Drive Out Hunger Web site for full details of this campaign. Make sure to check out the map of where the bus tour is now and also the photo mosaic from photos of people at each of the stops. I hope to see you bright and early on Monday morning at the Cheesecake Factory at Millenia Mall!

Maria Diestro
Online Services and Communications Manager

September 15, 2009

Macy’s Wants to Provide 10 Million Meals

Author: Maria Diestro

Macy’s Come+Together Campaign has launched and it aims to raise 10 million meals for Feeding America and its network of food banks. In case you didn’t know, Second Harvest Food Bank is proudly within that network. The campaign runs from September 13 to October 21. Below is a short summary of the campaign and how YOU can get involved. For full details visit Macy’s Come Together Web site.

#16 Way to Fight Hunger: Macy’s Come Together Campaign

Dinner’s ready and you’re invited! On September 15th (today), Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida will help our local Macy’s stores host a celebration as part of the national kick off event . We will join more than 650 participating Macy’s stores in a simultaneous “first course” meal. Everyone will get their first taste of the Come Together campaign as Macy’s hosts The World’s Largest Dinner Party. There will be a selection of appetizers and in some stores a live dj.

Join a Second Harvest Food Bank representative at any of the following 8 Macy’s locations in Central Florida at 6 p.m. today. We look forward to celebrating the campaign launch with you. Locations: Altamonte Mall, The Florida Mall, Melbourne Square Mall, Orlando Fashion Square, The Mall at Millenia, Oviedo Marketplace, Seminole Towne Center and Volusia Mall. You won’t want to miss it!  Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida will directly benefit from the Macy’s Come Together campaign.

If you can’t make the kick-off event, below are the three ways that you can participate.

HOST a Dinner to Raise Money:
Macy’s has dedicated a whole Web site to equipt you with everything you need to host the most memorable dinner party ever. Macy’s Culinary Council, made up of 15 world-renowned chefs including Emeril Lagasse, Tyler Florence, Todd English, Wolfgang Puck, as well as entertaining authority Martha Stewart, will serve as the experts of this campaign, offering up dinner party themes, recipe ideas, product suggestions and even their suggested playlists, to help America host delectable and entertaining dinners. Invite your closest friends and help Macy’s provide 10 million meals nationwide. The website lets you register your dinner party. Its also will help you create invitations that you can send to your friends. After your dinner party is over, you can go straight to the site and donate the money that you collected.

Here is a behind the scenes look at the commercial currently airing with some famous faces:

GIVE a $1 Donation at any Macy’s: Macy’s will match your donation dollar for dollar until the goal of 10 million meals is reached. Thank you Macy’s!

SHOP for a Cause on October 17: On October 17, Macy’s will give back to the Central Florida area through funds raised during their in-store and on-line Shop for a Cause event.  For $5, participants will experience a unique shopping day at their local Macy’s store, including great discounts, special events, and an opportunity to win $500. $5 tickets are available at either your local Macy’s store or at Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.  Funds raised through Shop for a Cause directly benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.

One last thing, Macy’s is also giving you the chance to enter its Come Together Sweepstakes. Win one of four pretty cool prizes on the Come Together Web site.   Prizes: 4-night Disney Cruise Line Bahamian Vacation, a 5-night stay at any small luxry Hotels of the World location, a HP TouchSmart PC and my personal favorite: Dinner for 4 at one of our celebrity chef’s restaurants. Good Luck!

Come Together and Help Fight Hunger!

Thank you to Macy’s for inviting Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida to the table!

Maria Diestro
Online Services and Communications Manager

P.S. I will be posting another blog later this week on more Hunger Action Month events. Meanwhile, don’t forget to check out our 30 Ways in 30 Days calendar.

September 10, 2009

Hunger Action Month – The Countdown Continues

Author: Maria Diestro

Week 2 of Hunger Action Month is here! I was pleased to learn that our Hunger Action Month Web site received the highest pageviews last week in my stats report. Thanks to everyone for making the time to check it out.

Before we continue our countdown, I’d like to give a Portraits of Hunger Photo Contest Update. We have over 400 votes in our system! There are only 8 more days left to vote and don’t forget that you can vote as many times as you want. The top three portraits right now are: Courage, Grocery Day and Hungry Eyes. So get to it and vote for your favorite today!

Lots to do this week on our 30 Ways in 30 Days calendar. Below are actions that you can take:

#21 Become an Advocate

There are so many ways that one can be an advocate. The most common way is to speak out in support of Second Harvest Food Bank and to let people know about the work we do here in Central Florida. Another more direct way is by writing letters to your government representatives.

We recently launched our Hunger Action Center and now have the capibility that allows you to do just this. Your support can help launch a nationwide expansion of the Afterschool Meal Program, allowing children from ALL states to benefit from a nutritious meal after school. Click here to take action.

#20 National Day of Service
In April, President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act which, for the first time, officially recognizes September 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. This year, on September 11, the President, the Corporation for National and Community Service, MyGoodDeed and the 9/11 families will ask all Americans to remember that Tuesday eight years ago and recommit to service in their communities throughout the year.

On the UnitedWeServe Web site you can find volunteer opportunities or you can register your service project. At Second Harvest we strongly believe in giving back to our community.

#19 Pledge to Fight Hunger
In the month of September we are asking people to Take the Pledge to Fight Hunger. We want you to join in the commitment to end hunger. We are asking you to pledge the following four things:

• Learn more about the largely invisible problem of hunger.
• Work to find ways to fight hunger in my own community.
• Fight for anti-hunger laws by joining Second Harvest Food Banks action center.
• Actively educate my friends, family and acquaintances about hunger and what can be done about it.

Once you sign the pledge, make sure to tell 5 of your friends about it.

That wraps up this week’s actions!  In case you missed it, Change the World’s blog writer Kate Santich did a nice write up on Monday about Hunger Action Month titled: Take Action Against Hunger All Month Long.

Until next week,

Maria Diestro
Online Services and Communications Manager

September 2, 2009

Hunger Action Month is Here

Author: Maria Diestro

Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, in conjunction with Feeding America and 205 other food banks nationwide are participating in the Second Annual Hunger Action Month. The goal of this month is to mobilize people everywhere to get involved with fighting hunger in America.

One in Eight Americans struggle with hunger.  That’s why Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida is asking everyone to participate in our 30 Ways in 30 Days campaign. Giving a little this month, will help feed alot.

I will be counting down our 30 day calendar in weekly posts. Updated information, interviews, photos and videos will be posted to go along with our 30 Ways in 30 Days Calendar.

Lets get this countdown started!  Below are 4 things you can do this week:

#28 Attend a Food for Thought
Did you know that we offer informational tours of the food bank? We call these tours Food For Thought. They take place several times a month and we feed you lunch or breakfast (depending on the time of the tour). 

 If this is something that interests you, please make sure you RSVP online.  This session is a great way to learn about hunger in Central Florida and what Second Harvest Food Bank is doing to help.

#27 Contribute Funds
Funds are one of the four most important ways (funds, food, volunteering, and advocacy) that you can help fight hunger. For every $1 donated, up to $9 worth of grocery products are provided to Central Floridians in need. 97.1% of every dollar donated to Second Harvest goes straight to feeding people. Even a small donation can make a BIG impact. Donate Today >>

#26 Martial Artists Fighting Hunger – The Gauntlet
Martial Artists Fighting Hunger are hosting a fundraiser for us on Saturday, September 5 at Lyman High School. What exactly is The Gauntlet?  The video below will explain it all for you.

A huge thanks to Steve Blanton for all his hard work in organizing this event. Steve Blanton is the founder and Commissioner of comBATON and tournament director of all comBATON tournaments including the championships at the Disney Martial Arts Festival in Orlando, Florida. 

If you practice Martial Arts or have friends that do, we hope to see you or them on Saturday at Lyman High School. Full details here >>

#25 Follow us on Twitter
We started a twitter account 6 months ago  and have recently surpassed 1,000 followers!  If you have an account, you can follow us at @2HarvestCFL 

If you already follow us on twitter, you can help spread the message about Hunger Action Month with the following tweets:

• 1 in 8 Americans struggle with Hunger. YOU have the power to make a difference! 30 Ways/30 Days Calendar: http://bit.ly/QkDdc #hungeraction
• September is Hunger Action Month: http://bit.ly/laSqV What are you going to do? #hungeraction
• Give a little, Feed A lot. September is Hunger Action Month: http://bit.ly/laSqV

That concludes this week’s actions. If you want to take a peek at next week’s actions the full calendar can be viewed online. Let us know what you think? We are open to suggestions and criticism.

until next week,
Maria Diestro
Online Services and Communications Manager
Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida

p.s. Don’t forget to share this information with your Friends!