1. Food Hardship
A recently released study  showed the hardest hit markets for families not being able to afford adequate food.  The Orlando area ranked #10 in the nation for food hardship with 23.6% of the population struggling — higher than the State and national averages.

2. Childhood Hunger
Orlando has a higher percentage of children in poverty that are of school age than the rest of Florida or the overall United States. One in six children lives on the brink of hunger in Florida. The number is closer to one in four for Central Florida. Orlando: 23.3% vs. overall U.S.: 17%

3. The Meal Gap
A study released March 2011 shows that Central Florida ranks higher than the national average for a measurement of what percentage of the population is in need of food. This study also measured the Gap in terms of dollars needed to provide missing meals over the course of one year. For Central Florida the gap is $84,548,545.00.

4. Poverty Rate
For Central Florida, there are approximately 400,000 people living in poverty, almost 20% of the population. Just over 100,000 of that population are children.

5. Hunger Study
The Hunger Study for Central Florida measures several indicators every four years on the hunger landscape. One key measurement is the number of different people receiving help through our feeding programs. In 2004 the number of people was 298,000. When measured in 2009, it grew to 732,000 people….a 152% increase. This increase outpaces most parts of the country. Florida ranks #1 in Nation for increase in households struggling with hunger . Increase from 2004-2006 period of 8.9% to 14.2 % for 2007-2009.

6. 211 Calls
The number of 211 calls for help in Central Florida increased by 43% from 2009 to 2010. The increase continues in 2011. Food assistance is one of the top three requests.

7. Food Stamp (SNAP) Usage
SNAP usage has increased in Central Florida by 32.8% vs. the State average of 20.8% from 2009 – 2010.  One in six Floridians use Food Stamps. There was a 113% increase in Florida from 2007 -2009 in the number of people who lived in households that had no other cash income other than Food Stamps.

8. Unemployment
U.S = 8.9% rate vs.  Metro Orlando = 10.8%. Surrounding Counties in Central Florida have a rate as high as 12%.

9. Under- Employment
Florida ranks fifth in the nation as a percentage of people that are considered under-employed…. ranging from 21% – 24.9% . While we do not have Central Florida data, we believe this range fits or may be understated due to the heavy tourism base and the tens of thousands of low paying jobs related to that industry.

10. The Perfect Storm
All of the previous nine key indicators add up to a perfect storm of a dire situation. This data paints the picture of Central Florida’s dubious distinction as a geographic area in great need. When compared to other markets across the country, Central Florida, unfortunately, stands out as an area of higher need.

 
A really great way to fight hunger is to attend one of our regularly scheduled “Food for Thought” informational tours at either our Orlando or Volusia Branch locations. You’ll get a sense of how a Food Bank works and what an incredible difference we are able to make for people who are struggling to put food on the table.  We don’t ask for contributions at Food for Thought. Instead, we hope that our guests will be motivated to tell others about our mission, and be inclined to take action at some point in the future themselves. To look at available tour dates and to sign up online, please visit our Food for Thought page.

Dave Krepcho
CEO & President

Sources: Food Research and Action Center (Washington, DC 2010 Study), Center on Hunger (Echo Strategies), Hunger in Central Florida 2009 (USDA and Economic Research Services), U.S. Census Bureau, Florida Impact 2010, Heart of Florida United Way, Florida Department of Children & Families, New York Times / Florida Department of Children & Families, Gallup Poll, 2010

I’m pleased to announce that our trio Childhood Hunger programs received a Victory Against Hunger Award from the Congressional Hunger Center, Victory Wholesale Group and Feeding America.

We reached a record number of children through our Kids Cafe, Hi-Five, and Summer Food programs in the last year and it is always a pleasure to be recognized for our work.

A breakdown of the 3 programs:

Kids Cafes
           At 13 After School sites in 3 counties, 164,155 prepared or catered meals were served in fiscal 2009/2010. This reflects a 12% increase over the previous year. An average of 910 children were served daily.

Summer Food Program
           During 51 operational days while children in needy areas lacked access to school lunch programs, 43,188 meals were served at 17 sites in Orange County this past summer, reflecting an increase of 9% over last year. Through a grant from ConAgra we were also able to provide the children with , 15,773 take-home, shelf-stable food packs for the weekends.

Hi-Five Kids Pack Program
          31,245 shelf-stable food packs were provided to needy children at 18 elementary schools last year. These packs are designed to help bridge the nutritional gap that exists during weekends, when children lack access to school cafeterias.

The Congressional Hunger Center (CHC) is a bipartisan anti-hunger leadership training organization located in Washington, DC. In addition to the fellowships they offer, the CHC facilitates the national discussion of finding ways to end hunger in America.

It’s nice to be able to take a break from our workday and be honored, but there’s always more work to get back to. We continue to see more and more children enrolled in our programs and there’s much more to do. Can you help?

Brady Koch
Director of Agency Relations & Programs
bkoch@foodbankcentralflorida.org

A teacher looking at a classroom full of children on the first day of school might have a difficult time determining who would be in need of food assistance. The free and reduced school breakfast and lunch program, our Hi-Five weekend program, and our Kids Cafe afterschool program all help get food to these children.

There are common warning signs to look for like lethargy, inability to concentrate, and aggression, but it can still be challenging to identify the need.

A new study published this month in the journal Pediatrics, by University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers examined whether the time-consuming, 18-question Household Food Security Survey provided by the federal government could be shortened and still be effective in identifying hungry children.

They found that there were two questions you could ask that would be as effective as the entire 18 question survey.

Simple Two-Question Survey Can Better Identify Hungry Children

This is a great start to brainstorming exercises we’ve started internally to find ways to enhance our childhood programs.

What do you think of the findings of this study?

Nearly 250 sites will be offering free breakfast, lunches and afternoon snacks to children in economically disadvantaged areas throughout Orange County this summer. This is our third year participating in the Summer Food Service Program and we’re hoping that it is our most successful year to date.

The major obstacles for kids participating in the program are outreach and transportation. Children home for the summer may not even know that this program is available in their community.  We urge you to help us spread the word. Help us raise awareness and ensure that children have access to proper nutrition this summer.

The Summer Food Sponsors in Orange County are:
-  The Orange County School District
-  Orlando Parks and Recreation
-  Second Harvest Food Bank
-  Township of Eatonville

For information on Orange County sites, click here.

For site information on Central Florida sites, click here.

For the rest of the state provide a zip code at this site:
http://app1.fldoe.org/summerfoodprogram/

For more information contact: Santos Maldonado, Childhood Hunger Programs Manager
(407) 295-1066 ext. 25 or smaldonado@foodbankcentralflorida.org

Brady Koch
Director of Agency Relations & Programs

Can you believe Taste of the Nation Orlando is almost here? It feels like just yesterday I was helping with setting up our food display at last year’s event.

Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation is the nation’s premier culinary benefit dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America.

All proceeds locally benefit Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida and Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida; state wide beneficiary is Florida Impact.

Imagine yourself in a room full of food catered by some of your favorite restaurant chefs. Just in … five of the Taste chefs will have the great honor of cooking at the James Beard House in June!

• Jamie McFadden of Cuisiniers Catering
• Kevin Fonzo of K Restaurant & Wine Bar
• James & Julie Petrakis of The Ravenous Pig
• Scott Copeland of Antonio’s Cafe & Deli. 

This is a small glimpse of some of the amazing talent that help put this event together. View a list of all participating restaurants.

So go ahead and make a big mark around Saturday, June 5 on your calendars. The 21st Annual Taste of the Nation Orlando will take place at the Orlando Marriott World Center on 8701 World Center Drive.

Last year was my first Taste of the Nation experience. It can be a bit overwhelming to see all the different tables of food and trying to decide on which auction item to bid on. Did you know that last year there were over 200 auction items?

Here are 5 tips to surviving Taste of the Nation Orlando

1) Get there early and beat the rush. 

2) Bring cash for raffle items. Last year we raffled of some pretty cool prizes and trips.

3) Take time to look through all the auction items. You will be surprised to find some very affordable hidden gems in there. Also, there are always very unique opportunities that you will only find at Taste of the Nation.     

4) Take a moment to stop by the beneficiaries displays. Learn more about what this whole event is really about!

5) Take advantage of the VIP package. You enjoy early admission, reserved seating, a champagne reception and a goody bag. That’s not bad for $50 more.  

If you are a Taste of the Nation Veteran, feel free to post any additional tips below!

See you at Taste of the Nation,

Maria Diestro
Online Services and Communications Manager

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

This week I’m attending Feeding America’s Agency Capacity, Programs and Nutrition Conference.

It is always reinvigorating to meet up with over 400 food bankers from across the nation and share notes in a face to face format. On Tuesday I got to sit in a panel for new food bankers and share our experiences on Childhood Hunger programs, Hi-Five, Summer Feeding, and Kids Café.

It feels rewarding to be able to share all of our best practices with people that were in the same position I was in a number of years ago.

 On Wednesday, I had a presentation about the cutting edge practices we use in our Benefits Connection food stamp outreach program. This program has been an overwhelming success for us and after nonstop consultations with other food bankers; I’m down to my last business card.

Thursday Nitza Colon, our Benefits Connection Manager, had another presentation about our outreach program that instructed other food banks how to start their own food stamp programs. At the general session that afternoon the speaker from Feeding America said that “Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida has turned food stamp outreach into an art form.” I feel like Picasso now.

Our Childhood Hunger manager, Santos Maldonado, and I received a plaque thanking us for our work as mentors for the Hi-five Kids pack program.

Accolades like this and being asked to speak at events such as this remind me how great Second Harvest is and how many other hunger relief agencies nationwide look to us as leaders in our field.

There is a lot more to our work than a warehouse full of food. Each of our programs strategically tackles a specific facet of hunger that may otherwise not be addressed. Now that our batteries are recharged, we can’t wait to come back to Orlando and implement some of the new ideas we’re learning about.

Holiday season’s one of the busiest times at Second Harvest and we’re ready to hit the ground running. If you’re interested in learning about any of our programs please feel free to contact me or anyone on my team.

Brady Koch
Director of Agency Relations & Programs
bkoch@foodbankcentralflorida.org

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