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

 

 

November 15, 2010

Grocery Alliance Program Brings in over 6 Million Pounds of Food in its First Year

Author: Lauren Moskowitz

That’s fantastic, but what is Grocery Alliance? 

Second Harvest Food Bank’s Grocery Alliance Program operates 8 refrigerated vehicles that pick up unsalable but perfectly consumable products from over 170 Central Florida grocery and retail stores 5 days a week. 

We receive items from every food group and even some helpful nonfood items too. Our dedicated drivers leave each morning by 7 am and return to our warehouses in the afternoon with thousands of pounds of nutritious produce, meat, dairy, deli, bakery and dry goods on their trucks. Once sorted, everything collected is available to our over 600 member agencies at our 3 locations:  Orlando, Daytona and Melbourne. This program allows us to access incredible fresh food that is otherwise difficult to come by.

Not only was this OUR first year operating this kind of a program, but it was also a brand new program for the majority of our donors. That said, we were extremely excited about getting started, though not exactly sure what to expect. 

Once routes were learned, schedules were set and the stores adapted to their new processes things really took off! Since the program’s kickoff last year, we have added 2 additional vehicles just to keep up with the volume of donations coming in. We are genuinely moved by the enthusiasm of our donors, and the amount of effort that goes into preparing these donations each day does not go unnoticed. 

Thank you to all of our donors for an extremely successful first year! We can’t wait to see what next year brings.

Special thanks to Chase Bank and Walmart and for donating 3 beautiful new refrigerated trucks for the program’s use.

Lauren Moskowitz
Grocery Alliance Program Manager

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

June 17, 2010

Summer of Hunger Article

Author: Brady Koch

We’re entering our second week of the Summer Food Service Program and are starting to see children lining up at our lunch sites. It’s certainly a good thing that these kids in need are able to locate and travel to a feeding site, but it’s also a raw reminder of the state of childhood hunger in our community. Unfortunately it’s a problem that all communities across the United States are facing.

AOL News published an article that provides a comprehensive look at our children that are out of school and out of food. The nationwide challenges detailed in the story are mirrored here in Central Florida

Record Number of Kids Facing Summer Of Hunger

 WASHINGTON (June 16) — With the school year ending in communities across America, more than 16 million children face a summer of hunger.

While classes were in session, they relied on free or discount cafeteria meals subsidized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But they will not be reached by the patchwork summer food programs financed by the USDA, which feed fewer than one in five of the total number of kids poor enough to qualify.

The children caught in the gap will likely spend the next few months cadging leftovers from neighbors, chowing down on cheap junk, lining up with their families at food banks that are already overmatched or simply learning to live with a constant headache, growling stomach and chronic fatigue. When school rolls around again in the fall, they will be less healthy and less ready to learn than their peers.

The problem is not new, of course, but indicators for a crisis are lining up. Federal studies show that “food insecurity” for children peaks during summer, said USDA spokeswoman Jean Daniel, adding, “That’s a cutting-edge research term for hunger.” Demand for food stamps is already up. Demand at food banks is already way up. Donations, however, are down.

Read complete article.

March 24, 2010

Publix Super Markets Central Florida Division and Customers Raised more than $86,000 to support Second Harvest Food Bank

Author: Maria Diestro

This past holiday season Publix Super Markets and their customers raised more than $86,000 through their Food For All program. The Food for All campaign took place in all Central Florida Publix stores from November through December 2009.

Through the fundraiser, customers could make a $1, $3, or $5 contribution while paying for their groceries. The coupon was then added to their total grocery bill.

Dave Krepcho, president and CEO of Second Harvest, said “These donations provide nine times that much in terms of food value to the community. This will go a long way toward feeding families throughout our service area. A truly meaningful donation.”

Thank You Publix for letting us be a part of the Food for All campaign. And thank you Central Florida for being so giving this past holiday season.