Elvin and his wife moved to Orlando to be with their college-age son with special needs. Elvin hoped to transfer from one hotel to another, but then the pandemic wiped out his plan. “Unemployment is not a job. I want a real job,” Elvin explained. Like so many thousands of hospitality workers in Central Florida, Elvin faced a choice: wait out the pandemic or find something … [Read more...] about Charting a New Path, Thanks to You
Culinary Training Program
From our family to yours.
Thank you for being part of our food bank family. Because of you, 250,000 meals are distributed today and every day across Central Florida. Please take a moment to watch this special thank you video, made just for you. Thank you for being a hero for families, kids and seniors experiencing hunger in Central Florida. Here are just a few ways you can support our shared … [Read more...] about From our family to yours.
P is for Persistence.
It took three tries for Paul to complete Second Harvest’s Culinary Training Program. “For me, the saying ‘third time’s a charm’ couldn’t be truer,” said Paul. When he first started the program, he couldn’t focus. The pandemic only made things worse. He didn’t have any income and transportation was a challenge. Helping his mom with her catering business gave him the … [Read more...] about P is for Persistence.
Time to Make a Change
“I was finally ready to make a change,” says LeMoris as he recalls what led him to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida’s Culinary Training Program. He spent much of his adult life working for a lawn care service, but cooking is in his blood. His grandfather ran a smokehouse and his father cooked in the Air Force. “From the moment I walked in the door at Second … [Read more...] about Time to Make a Change
“This Program is Changing Me.”
Every morning Yolanda looks up at the wall inside the Culinary Training Program classroom to reads, "To find joy in work is to discover the fountain of youth." This quote by Pearl S. Buck affirms her decision to go back to school. “I was raised by my grandmother and became her caretaker for the last several years,” she explains. “Now I am turning back the clock, going to … [Read more...] about “This Program is Changing Me.”