December 10, 2010

Your Benefits Connection Starting Lineup

Author: Brady Koch

I was wondering what the City of Orlando was doing with the old Amway Arena when the new event center opened up. Well on Friday Project Homeless Connect used the building for service organizations such as ourselves to provide assistance to individuals.

Our Benefits Connection food stamp outreach team was on center court prescreening and assisting individuals with their applications.

Last year our Benefits Connection team assisted clients in accessing more than $14 million in food stamp benefits. Looks like they’re going to have to find space in the new arena’s rafters to hang our jersey.

 

Brady Koch
Director of Agency Relations & Programs

December 8, 2010

You cared, people were helped. Thank you.

Author: Dave Krepcho

Your support of Second Harvest Food Bank has made an impact in lives of thousands of Central Florida seniors, children, and families this past year.

Here’s a look at our accomplishments:

- Second Harvest distributed 24,764,248 pounds of food to more than 500 partner feeding programs in our 6 county-wide service area.

- Our Kids Cafe program served, prepared or catered meals to 164,155 children at 13 kids cafe’s in 3 counties.

- During the summer, we served 43,188 meals for school age children at 17 sites in Orange County through our Summer Feeding program. Through a grant from ConAgra we were also able to provide the kids with 15,773 take-home, shelf-stable food packs for the weekends.

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

- An amazing 1,227,100 pounds of non-perishable grocery products were collected in fiscal 2009/2010 through our Community Food Drives.

- Our Benefits Connection program secured over $14 million in food stamp benefits for Central Floridians. In addition to food stamp benefits, our specialists also signed clients up for Medicaid and Cash Assistance, and provided referrals to a network of collaborating agencies.

- Second Harvest Food Bank set up an online advocacy center and urged congressional leaders to fully fund and pass Child Nutrition Reauthorization. The Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill was passed last week in Congress!

Whether you volunteered, gave a special gift, contacted your elected officials, or simply were part of our online community, YOU helped thousands of Central Floridians this year. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Dave Krepcho
President & CEO

October 29, 2010

Putting Things In Perspective, Dave Krepcho, President/CEO

Author: Dave Krepcho

Recently, one of our Benefits Connection Outreach Specialists shared a story that puts a face on someone in need in Central Florida. It shatters the stereotype of who we think may be in need of something so basic as food.

 

There are so many reasons why people require food assistance. There are thousands of these stories.

Last year alone, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida reached 732,000 different  individuals (many of them multiple times) that were in need of food. People suffering from the poor economy, folks under-employed, kids who need proper nutrition, the disabled and senior citizens on fixed incomes.

If you have supported Second Harvest, thank you, we need your continued partnership. If you are checking us out for the first time and considering support, thank you.

It’s through the generosity of many folks that make our work possible. For every dollar donated, we distribute $9 worth of groceries. 96 cents of every dollar goes directly to feeding people…quite a “Return On Investment”. It’s amazing and it’s a fact.

Please join us in being part of the solution to hunger – it’s a rewarding experience. It’s always healthy to put things in perspective.

Dave Krepcho
President/CEO

August 24, 2010

New USDA Pilot to Feed more Kids During the Summer

Author: Brady Koch

This summer, we’ve provided Central Florida kids with over 42,000 meals at a variety of community programs through the Summer Food Service Program. Additionally we reach thousands of children through our Benefits Connection food stamp outreach program.

The USDA is considering a pilot program that will merge both programs into a benefit hybrid that is designed to provide children with food during the Summer when they don’t have access to the Free and Reduced Meal Program.

News Article: 16 Million Hungry Kids, 1 New Idea for Feeding Them

 What do you think of the idea? It could potentially reach many more children, but what about the accountability of the EBT cards? Hopefully Florida will participate in the pilot and we can provide even more meals to kids next summer.

Brady Koch
Director of Agency Relations & Programs

August 9, 2010

Food Stamps Reach An All-Time Record

Author: Brady Koch

40.8 Million Americans are now participating in the food stamp program.

Here in Florida, it’s now called Food Assistance Program (FAP). We’re seeing the increased need in our Benefits Connection team. Last year we generated $14 million in annualized food stamps for Central Floridians. In July, we served more individuals than ever before and the demand is continuing to grow.

Article from The Boston Globe: Food stamp use hit record 40.8m in May

Want to see how our Benefits Connection program works? We were fortunate enough to be profiled on WFTV recently.

Watch WFTV’s Family Connection report: http://www.wftv.com/video/24443772/index.html

Brady Koch
Director of Agency Relations & Programs