Recent Stories
Fighting Summer Hunger Takes Many Forms
Hunger doesn’t take a summer break, and neither do the people who fight it.
All summer long, people connected to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida – employees, volunteers, donors, supporters and community partners – all have been working to make sure local kids have healthy, nutritious meals while school is out.
These are a few of the voices telling the story of how they are fighting hunger this summer, meeting the moment and filling the gaps left from kids missing school-provided breakfasts and lunches.
Fighting Summer Hunger With Better Rural Access
Summer BreakSpot sites serve up no-cost meals for kids and teens every weekday while school is out.
However, the traditional model of free meals for kids aged 18 and under that are served and eaten onsite twice a day doesn’t work for every family. Sometimes kids are at home instead of in a summer childcare program, or transportation to a feeding site twice a day is not manageable.
With one in six Central Florida kids facing hunger, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida opted to participate in a rural non-congregate feeding pilot program this summer. The program utilizes mobile distributions to reach children without access to traditional sites.
Feeding Brighter Futures at Second Harvest’s Culinary Training Program
Stay-at-home mom Angeline Cruz was at a crossroads when returning to the workforce: Should she keep her entry-level job at a shipping warehouse to provide for her family, or should she invest in building her skills – and a long-term career?
From high school graduates to single parents, many working-age adults in our community face that same dilemma. They might have just enough income to stay afloat, working part-time or irregular jobs that earn far less than minimum wage. However, financial constraints and lack of hands-on training and job experience can keep them locked in the status quo, unable to capitalize on their full potential.
More Feeding Brighter Futures at Second Harvest’s Culinary Training Program