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

November 17, 2010

Tale of the Tape: Sizing up Hunger

Author: Brady Koch

With a mission of “Fighting Hunger in Central Florida” you would think Second Harvest would resort to more boxing analogies. Well, Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service released its annual study measuring food security in the United States and it looks like we continue to have our work cut out for us.

Here are some key findings:

• In 2009, 50.2 million (16.6%) Americans lived in food insecure households. 
• In 2009, 17.2 million (23.2%) children were living in food insecure households. 
• In 2009, 2.2 million (7.5%) households with seniors were living in food insecure households.
• In 2009, 884,000 (7.8%) seniors living alone were living in food insecure households.

The full report can be viewed at: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/ERR108/ERR108.pdf

To bring this national story back to the local level, the Orlando Sentinel profiled Central Florida’s response to food insecurity and hunger.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/os-central-florida-hunger-20101115,0,420934.story

Much like Little Mac in PunchOut, our opponent seems to be insurmountable, but the one thing we have in our corner is the community. Second Harvest continues to be able to fight hunger with our partner feeding agencies, volunteers, and donors.

 As a team we’ll continue to keep fighting until hunger is down for the count.

Brady Koch
Director of Agency Relations & Programs 

October 13, 2010

Take a walk on the wild side

Author: Sasha Hausman

Are you ready to talk a walk on the wild side? We sure hope so! Because Canstruction is back with a new theme for 2010: ZOO CAN DO IT! Canstruction Orlando is teaming up with the Central Florida Zoo to create the best Canstruction yet!

So you might be asking, what in the world is a Canstruction?

Canstruction is a design/build competition currently held throughout cities in North America.  Teams of architects, engineers, and folks from numerous organizations come together to build large structures made entirely from full cans of food.  Since its inception, 10 million pounds of food have been donated to aid in the fight against hunger throughout the nation.

Orlando has produced an event every year since 1994. Over the years we have collected over 306,000 cans, boxes, or bags of food and raised over $37,000 in donations through the People’s Choice award for a favorite structure. We have had strong support from the Design Community and in particular, the Society for Design Administration and the American Institute of Architects.

This year’s 8 fabulous teams have been busy trying to come up with the best zoo themed structure for the event. I am pretty excited to see what everyone has been working on. The build will begin Sunday, October 17th at 9 am at Orlando Fashion Square! You can come out and watch the teams create their masterpieces.

Lions! And tigers! And bears! OH YES! Well kind of…If you come out between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on the 17th, you will be in for a WILD time as the folks at the Central Florida Zoo will be bringing some of their friends over.  You’ll have to come out to Orlando Fashion Square to see what kind of fun furry friends, or creepy creatures will be there.

The structures will be on display at Orlando Fashion Square all week, October 17-24. The teams will receive awards like Best Meal, Best Use of Labels, Jurors’ Favorite, Healthy Award, People’s Choice, and Best Signage.

Would you like to have a say in who wins the People’s Choice Award and have a chance to win a pretty awesome Central Florida Zoo gift pack? Well stop by the mall all week while the structures are up and vote! You will be automatically entered to win a membership to the Central Florida Zoo for a family of 4, a zip line experience for a family of 4, and 4 zoo shirts!

This is the most important part…what happens to the food after the event? On Sunday the 24th, all the teams will get together to break down the structures. The Second Harvest Food Bank truck and staff will be there to load the food and bring it back to the food bank. From there, our trusty volunteers will sort the food and get it ready to go out to a neighbor in need.

The staff over at Second Harvest is going BANANAS over Canstruction 2010: Zoo Can Do It! We just wanted to say a big thanks to all of our teams, team sponsors, and of course our hard working Canstruction Orlando Committee.
               
So quit “lion” around! Make your way out to Orlando Fashion Square to take a look at these amazing structures.  For more information about Canstruction Orlando, please visit www.canstruction-orlando.org

See you there!

Sasha Hausman
Development Manager

April 6, 2010

Meet Our Pound for Pound Challenge Champ

Author: Sasha Hausman

We have all learned that is hard to stay motivated when trying to get healthy. There are so many temptations out there ready to lure us in at any given moment (Cake for a co-workers birthday, favorite movie on TV so you skip the gym, etc.).

So we try to think of something to help us stay on the right track…It could be a pair of jeans that you have outgrown 5 years ago. But for Robin Le Roy-Kyle it is something bigger. It’s about helping feed our neighbors in need.

Please meet Robin aka “The Orlando Turtle Runner” and our Pound for Pound Challenge Champion.

In 2006 Robin was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and decided to make a change. Since then, running has been her exercise of choice. Her running blog www.RunningCirclesAroundTheTurtles.com, has taken off quite nicely with rapidly growing readership. This led her to her next venture.

Robin began hosting a running club called Pay it Forward 500 Mile Club: Running with a Purpose in 2010. Participants commit to running a certain number of miles (minimum 500), select a charity/organization of choice, and get sponsors to donate 10 cents per mile for every mile they run in 2010. Runners can sponsor themselves and/or get others to sponsor.

Robin’s organization of choice: Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. Her mileage goal for 2010? 750 miles!

“I’m sponsoring myself and recruiting family members, my dear sweet husband, and friends/coworkers to sponsor me, pitch in, etc… so I will be very excited to make my donation to Second Harvest in late December! Hope my efforts and commitment to feeding our neighbors helps in some small way!”

I hope Robin’s story can inspire you to make a change in your life and meet those personal goals you have been putting off! Don’t forget to pledge your pounds on the Pound for Pound Challenge Website.

Interested in joining the Pay it Forward Running club? Let us know!

Do you have an inspiring story as well? Let us know!

Thank you Robin and to all our Challenge Champs! Keep up the good work!

See ya next time!

Sasha Hausman
Events Specialist

January 13, 2010

Dave Krepcho Named 2009 Central Floridian of The Year

Author: Maria Diestro

Second Harvest’s President & CEO, Dave Krepcho, Honored by the Orlando Sentinel – Receives 2009 Central Floridian of The Year Award

Our own Dave Krepcho is this year’s recipient of the Orlando Sentinel’s “Central Floridian of The Year” award.

Now in its 27^th year, the designation recognizes the contributions of an individual or a group. “These are people who embody the best in us. People of conviction. Of charity. Of vision. Of service. It’s important to celebrate their contributions,” noted the Orlando Sentinel.

The award went to Dave in honor of his valuable contributions and commitment to the fight against hunger throughout Central Florida. “His transformation of Second Harvest from warehouse to a nimble force for fighting regional hunger is why Krepcho has been named the 2009 Central Floridian of the Year,” said Darryl Owens, member of the Orlando Sentinel editorial board.
“Krepcho downplays his role, crediting frontline workers. But his voice in branding hunger as a community imperative is undeniable.”

Read the full Orlando Sentinel article. 

View the video below: