Early on the bright and crisp morning of Saturday, December 17^th, three large Second Harvest trucks filled with 52,464 pounds of emergency food boxes and fresh produce got ready to roll toward six Orange County public schools. Second Harvest staff and management gathered in the parking lot to work out last minute details. Dave Krepcho, Second Harvest President and CEO, was first to rumble out of the lot and toward Hungerford Elementary School.

At the schools, families of students were already lined up in anticipation, as enthusiastic volunteers prepared for an orderly distribution. The energetic volunteers, young, old and in between, had been recruited and organized by Orange County Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services. They worked like a finely tuned orchestra, handling every surprise with patience, smiles and lots of laughs.

At East River High School, a seemingly endless line of vehicles stretched off into the distance. Volunteers quickly began filling trunks and backseats with food boxes. A couple pulled up on a motorcycle. They left with saddlebags brimming.

At Cheney Elementary the turnout was even more dramatic. By then, the local media had reported the event and many families on foot were patiently waiting as we pulled in. Youngsters helped carry boxes to parked cars while others filled bags with fresh produce. Smiling faces and expressions of gratitude made an already sunny day that much brighter.

Similar scenes played out at Evans High, Ivey Lane Elementary and Glenridge Middle Schools. Nearly 1,400 families worried less about having food to eat during the two week break from school when children lack access to school cafeterias.

This has been our largest Holiday Food Drop to-date and it was all done within the space of four hours.

Thanks to our partners, the Winter Park Health Foundation and Orange County Public Schools’ Food and Nutrition Services, as well as to the volunteers who helped make the face-to-face link between our work and the community at large.

Photos from the day:

Santos Maldonado
Childhood Hunger Programs Manager

I am thrilled to introduce our fabulous intern – Sam Greenberg.  Though new to our blog, Sam has been interning with our Grocery Alliance Program since September.  From day one, she has immersed herself in all things GA, and has contributed to a number of projects including new donor rollouts and a 6-county food drive!  Today, she blogs about one of our newest donors, BJ’s Wholesale Clubs, and their Holiday Food Drive … which starts today!

In the spirit of holiday giving, BJ’s Wholesale Clubs is launching a chain-wide food drive that will take place from November 28^th through December 12^th.

Each BJ’s location will have a donation collection bin located near the front of the Club.  Members can look for aisle talkers near critical need items such as pasta, canned sauce, canned fruits and vegetables, and protein-rich items such as tuna fish and peanut butter.

BJ’s is urging its members to break apart their multi-pack or family-sized grocery bundles and donate a few packages to the food drive.  You can also bring in your own non-perishable food donations to any BJ’s Club.  Not a member?  No problem.  Anyone can participate — simply stop by member services to receive a free 60 day trial membership.

If you can’t participate in the food drive, you can help out online. For every “like” or “share” on their facebook page, the BJ’s Charitable Foundation will donate $1 to Feeding America that goes towards assisting food bank transportation costs to make sure that there is no delay helping those in need!

All 7 Central Florida BJ’s Clubs also recently joined our Grocery Alliance Program through their Feedings Communities initiative. Each day, BJ’s Team Members gather unsold perishable food to be picked up 3 times a week by Second Harvest Food Bank trucks, and in turn distributed to our partner
agencies.

We would like to take a moment to say THANK YOU to BJ’s for recognizing the need for local hunger relief, and the importance of ensuring those in need get a well-balanced nutritious meal.  Don’t forget to stop by your local BJ’s Wholesale Club today through December 12^th to help those less fortunate enjoy the season.  With an extra serving of kindness, we can all make a difference!

Sam Greenberg
Second Harvest Intern

The other day I went out to lunch with a friend, something that we all do throughout the week. The bill ended up totaling $35 for the both of us. I paid the bill and left a tip without thinking anything of it. Then I realized that the same $35 that bought two lunches could have provided nearly 150 lunches to our hungry neighbors in need. Imagine that!

With that said, in just 5 days we will be having our 20th annual Empty Bowls Symbolic Soup Kitchen Luncheon! I invite you to join Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, as we remember and support those who may not have as much to be thankful for this holiday season.

What:    The 20th Annual Empty Bowls Luncheon, presented by General Mills

When:   Tuesday, November 10, 2009 from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. (Registration begins at 11:30 a.m.)

Where:  Embassy Suites Orlando Downtown—191 East Pine St. Orlando FL 32801

Why:     To benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and its partner agencies

Tickets to this wonderful, feel-good event are $35 each and will provide you with a traditional soup kitchen meal consisting of bread, salad, and soup.  There will be an amazing saxophone player and vocalist.

Plus every guest in attendance will receive a unique, handcrafted bowl created by local area students or artists!  If you have attended this event in the past, you already know what a meaningful kickoff it can be for your holiday season–so please join us again and bring a friend!

And check out our awesome raffle prizes!

• Cheesecake Factory Gift Certificates
• SAK Comedy Club Admissions
• Publix Gift Cards
• Enzian Theatre tickets
• Universal 2 Park Passes
• Seaworld tickets
• An actual piece of the original Hollywood Sign in California
• Dwight Howard autographed basketball

Order tickets online!

Tables are available for $315 for a reserved table of 10, or $1,000 for 20 “preferred” seats and logo in our program. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 407-843-5009, ext. 25.

I know I am pumped about Empty Bowls, and hopefully I will see everyone out there!

See you on Tuesday!

Sasha Hausman
Events Specialist

This past Saturday morning we piloted our Produce to the People program at Victory World Outreach in Maitland. The goal of Produce to the People is to deliver a truckload of produce directly to a community site where it will be handed our immediately by a team of volunteers from one of our partner feeding agencies. We wanted to focus on fresh produce for this program because that can be the most difficult for our clients to have access to on a limited budget.

For our pilot, we delivered two palates of cucumbers, two palates or corn, four palates of grapefruit juice, two palates of Grocery Alliance items, and two palates of apple slices. It was a chilly morning, but Victory World Outreach estimates that they served a little over 200 people.

Volunteers were the key to success. There were at least 16 volunteer on hand. They had an assembly line set up that would make Henry Ford proud. In addition to handing out food, volunteers would help people to their cars, talk to people in the waiting line, and direct traffic. 

Thanks to everyone who helped organize this event. Big thanks to Victory World Outreach. They went way above and beyond in organizing the distribution. This Saturday we’re in Kissimmee to try it all over again with some changes here and there.

We’ll be testing out this program two more times this month in Kissimmee and East Orange County. We’ll let you know how it goes!

Upcoming Produce to the People Pilots

October 24th
8:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
Solid Rock
Church of God
1904 North Michigan Ave.
Kissimmee, Florida 34774

October 31st
8:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
New Covenant Church of Central Florida
990 Belvedere Road
Orlando, Florida 32820

Below are some photos from the event: