$138 million. That number caught my attention when, seven years ago, I heard about a group of graduate business students at Rollins College researching the local economic impact of Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. Although I had worked with nonprofits for decades, the scale of Second Harvest’s impact was staggering by comparison. It encompassed not only the fresh … [Read more...] about Positive Potential: The Power We All Have to Fight Hunger
Advocacy
Tackling Poverty and Hunger in 2023
Poverty isn’t a number in a bank account. It’s not an area code or even a statistic. I define poverty as not having the financial independence to make critical decisions in one’s daily life. And unfortunately, we’re seeing this reach into the pockets of more and more people. Lingering inflation means that many households still struggle to make ends meet. Food prices – … [Read more...] about Tackling Poverty and Hunger in 2023
White House Conference on Health
Being selected as one of Feeding America's Amplified Voices of Neighbors with Experience for the first White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in over 50 years is at the top of my list of Professional Achievements. Despite Hurricane Ian looming back home, I decided I could not miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shed light on my personal … [Read more...] about White House Conference on Health
Feeding Florida’s Hungry Is Harder Than Ever as Support Wanes
After two difficult years, we’re all ready to believe that post-pandemic life is getting “back to normal.” But when it comes to hunger in Central Florida, that’s far from true. I’ve seen it firsthand over the last nine months as CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida: Food insecurity – and the challenges of solving it – are getting worse, not better. The national … [Read more...] about Feeding Florida’s Hungry Is Harder Than Ever as Support Wanes
You help kids like Zach learn
In our community, one in five kids is at risk of starting the day with an empty stomach. Rumbly tummies and headaches make it hard to concentrate at school. Hunger can impact their success today and derail their long-term growth and potential.Thankfully, there is hope. Through a variety of programs, Second Harvest Food Bank is helping close the hunger gap for our most … [Read more...] about You help kids like Zach learn