January 24, 2012

Building Solutions to Hunger kicks into high gear

Author: Greg Higgerson

One of the most often-heard sentiments expressed at Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida these days is that ‘We’ve run out of space, but we haven’t run out of need.”

As the number of our neighbors who need help with food continues to remain at historic levels, it is essential that our community continue working to close the gap between the amount of food needed, and the amount available. The good news is that there is no shortage of ‘extra’ food resources in our society. That’s not the problem. The main challenges faced in our work today lie in creating adequate infrastructure to take more full advantage of the bountiful food that exists in Florida, and throughout our country.

We’re extremely proud of the growth and community impact that our current facility has made possible over the past sixteen years, but very mindful of the limitations of capacity that now exist. Sadly, nearly four million pounds of wholesome, nutritious food products are having to be turned away each year due to lack of adequate facilities.    Read More …

December 15, 2011

5 Easy Ways to Fight Hunger using Social Media

Author: Maria Diestro

In these tough times, as much as you wish you had the time to volunteer in your community, it may not always be realistic or possible. Days are busy with work, kids, running errands, making dinner and chores.

These days we rely on social media and our smart phones to get things done and socialize with our friends, but did you know that you could use these same devices to help Second Harvest fight hunger?

Awareness is a powerful tool in helping to fight hunger, and with an entire culture of people connected to cyberspace everyday, we have created an easy 5 Ways to Fight Hunger Using Social Media checklist you can use to spread awareness about this epidemic in our community. Read More …

December 7, 2011

‘Trying’ is the best we can do

Author: Greg Higgerson

Suzi is a nutrition educator in Brevard County. As part of her job, she visits public schools to teach kids about how important it is to eat the right foods every day. One evening, as she was filling up her car with gasoline, Suzi was approached by a woman she had never met before.

The woman pointed to a youngster in a nearby vehicle, and said “My daughter just pointed you out as the woman who came to teach her class at school today,
is that right?” Suzi replied that it was. “My daughter also said that to be  healthy, she needed to fill up half her plate with fruits and vegetables, is that right too?” said the woman.

Suzi was pleased that the girl had gotten the message she was trying to get through, and replied ‘Oh, yes!” with pride. Read More …

November 28, 2011

Dark Clouds/Silver Linings

Author: Greg Higgerson

Yesterday, Scott Pelley from CBS’ 60 Minutes program presented a follow up segment to the eye-opening “Hard Times Generation” piece that aired eight months ago. Both stories detailed the plight of homeless families with children. It is telling that when the producers of 60 Minutes selected a community to profile such families, they didn’t choose an inner city setting, or Appalachia, or some rural community out West. Instead, they chose Central Florida. 

Why? Because of all the homeless families in America today, fully one-third exist in Florida. Regular people, accustomed to earning a wage and making their own way in life, who have found themselves with few options for sustainability during the Great Recession.

As someone who works in human services every day, I recall being a little puzzled by the widespread shock and dismay in the community following the airing of the first story. After all, the organization I work for has tried hard for many years to tell the story of our neighbors in need. It’s a rather stark portrait of  need that we strive to paint day in and day out, in an attempt to enlighten those who haven’t considered the tragic and preventable issue of hunger in our community. Read More …

November 28, 2011

BJ’s Wholesale Clubs: With an extra serving of kindness, we can all make a difference

Author: Maria Diestro

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