June 23, 2010

Every Cause Needs A Champion

Author: Sasha Hausman

We would like to introduce you to 11 year-old Abbey Brunault.

Abbey came into the food bank a couple of weeks to show us a video she had created for her class. Abbey’s teacher, Mrs. Patti Gordon, asked her class to learn more about a non-profit. Out of all the wonderful organizations in Central Florida, Abbey ended up choosing Second Harvest Food Bank.

All the information on the video Abbey grabbed from our brochures and website. She created the video on her computer and used pictures she took herself when she and her mom came to volunteer. We are in the process of getting this video on our youtube page. Be sure to check back next week to see the posted video.

In addition to creating this amazing video, Abbey handed us a check for $200 out of her own money. What an amazing individual.

We were all so touched by Abbey’s commitment to fighting hunger that we asked her to speak at our Feeding Hope Breakfast. The title of her speech was Hunger is Unacceptable.

We frequently present examples of kids whose families are struggling with poverty, and who need food assistance.  Today, we’re thrilled to present an example of just the opposite.   

A kid who has received the proper nutrition from birth, been nurtured, and supported by loving parents and teachers.  And look what is possible!   So many kids lack only the nutrition element, and could be so much more.  

That’s one of the primary motivators for staff and board at Second Harvest Food Bank.

May 26, 2010

Volunteer Day

Author: Sasha Hausman

One of the many things I love about working at Second Harvest is that every employee is given a day to volunteer at one of our amazing partner agencies. A couple weeks ago Maria Diestro and I had the pleasure of visiting the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida to take a tour, learn more about the organization, and of course to help out!

Marty Vevera, the Coalition’s Director of Volunteer Services, showed us around the different facilities and told us more about who they serve and how they do it. We learned that the folks at the Coalition are not only providing a safe place to sleep at night for Central Florida’s homeless … but they also provide  job training, counseling, and learning skills for the little ones. Of course they are also supplying hot meals that either come from gracious volunteer groups, or straight from Second Harvest Food Bank’s distribution center!

After the great tour, Maria and I were put to work … if you could call it that. We had the pleasure of playing with the most adorable children at the Coalition’s Day Care. These children live at the Coalition while Mom or Dad are either busy learning new vocational skills, or working. Maria took the toddlers out to the playground and had a great time playing gas station attendant to all the kids in their play cars. While she was running around outside, I was hanging out with a beautiful 3 month old baby who was just born at the Coalition.

I couldn’t believe how many kids live at the Coalition. When you think about who is homeless, I definitely would not have pictured a sweet and innocent 3 month old baby girl. The average child at the Coalition is 6 years old. It is important to know that these children and their families receive help from the Coalition each and every day. I am proud and honored to say that Second Harvest Food Bank is able to provide food and other resources so the Coalition can spend money on other things like beds, diapers, and new toys for that awesome day care!

Maria and I also finished putting the last minute touches on their successful golf fundraiser and called it a day. Believe me … we were tired! But so happy that we were able to see the good work the Coalition is doing!

Want to know more ways you can help not only the Coalition, but all of our 600 partner agencies? Click here to learn more about ways to get involved.

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Talk to you soon!

Sasha Hausman
Events Specialist

April 20, 2010

PepsiCo Feeds America with National Day of Service

Author: Maria Diestro

When I walked into work this morning I was greeted by 50 PepsiCo volunteers. They filled up our volunteer greeting area and overflowed into our warehouse. One thing I love about my job is having the opportunity to meet individuals and organizations that come through our volunteer center. So why do we have 50 PepsiCo volunteers at Second Harvest today?

Today, MOSAIC, PepsiCo’s African-American employee network is organizing a day of service with Feeding America. PepsiCo volunteers will work in over 30 food banks nationwide to impact over 2 million people. 1,400 PepsiCo employees will generate more than 5,000 volunteer hours in one day. That’s a pretty incredible project!

Second Harvest Food Bank is excited to take part in PepsiCo’s Employee Day of Service. We are one of four food banks in Florida that is participating in this project. The other 3 food banks are in Tampa, Miami and Ft. Pierce. I went around and took photos and video of these employees hard at work.

Second Harvest Food Bank would like to thank PepsiCo for their time and commitment in the fight against hunger.  Enjoy the photos and video!

Pictures:

Video:

Maria Diestro
Online Services and Communications Manager

October 13, 2009

Feeding the Community One Day at a Time

Author: Maria Diestro

I would like to share a testimony written by Andy Kimpel. I hope his story inspires you as much as it did me!

Maria Diestro
Online Services and Communications Manager  

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Feeding the Community One Day at a Time by Andy Kimpel

I work for a pallet company based in Orlando called CHEP. Why is that important you ask? Well, it’s where My Story really begins. I got involved with food banking a few years ago when I was asked to coordinate our company’s interaction with the national food bank organization called Feeding America.

At CHEP, our pallets help transport millions of pounds of food products every day and the link to food banking was, and is, a very logical one. However, I had no idea what food banking was or how it worked. I had even less knowledge about who was getting food assistance or how prevalent hunger was in my own community.

Literally hundreds of volunteer hours later, I now have a much deeper understanding of food banking and how necessary it is, especially in times like these. I have gone from relatively zero engagement to almost daily activity locally with Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and nationally with the Feeding America team in Chicago.

I’ve found that the more I help, the more I want to help. SHFB of Central Florida is a member of the Feeding America network that includes 200 other food banks around the country. This insight at multiple levels is rare for someone outside of food banking operations and a better knowledge of the entire food bank supply chain gives me the ability to help even more effectively.

The local work I am doing has a direct impact on our community’s future. I have recruited friends and family into this effort and we know we are changing lives every day. Food helps people perform better in school and work, create new opportunities and provide hope in tough times. Food is a basic requirement for our survival and I believe we all need to work to ensure that everyone gets their fair share. It’s not about being righteous or moral or political or even having a higher purpose. Sometimes it is simply about helping someone to survive until tomorrow. That’s as basic as it gets. Helping people right here in Orlando is a big plus for my family and I. For us, this cannot be more of a win-win situation. By helping locally, I am actually improving my family’s quality of life by improving conditions in our schools and supporting our local economy.

At the national level, I am able to help coordinate truckload shipments of food into various food banks. I help food manufacturers and distributors understand how easy it is to donate and how we can all work to end hunger across the U.S. I also help numerous food banks across the country with the flow of goods and provide suggestions on how they can work most efficiently with food donors and with CHEP.

Most people reading this will never have to worry about where their next meal will come from. But thousands of people in our area will. And do. The current economy has boosted local food assistance needs up by 400 percent in some areas and I feel compelled to help. I’m not a banker, but maybe food assistance helped someone get their bills paid this month. I’m not a teacher, but maybe I helped someone pass the FCAT last spring. I’m not a doctor, but maybe I helped save a life today. All those maybes drive my efforts at the food bank.

Volunteering with SHFB of Central Florida has opened my eyes and made me aware that hunger is right here in our backyard. It has shown me that 24 percent of the people getting food assistance are children who need it to grow and thrive and keep our community moving forward. I have been given the opportunity to help solve the hunger problem and it is a really good feeling. That’s why I keep going back for seconds.

Article by Andy Kimpel
Posted by InsightMagazine