With more families in need of assistance due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) helped ease the burden of hunger for families this holiday season. The 12th annual holiday food distribution event provided 2,600 families with food at nine different schools across Orange … [Read more...] about Feeding Hope to Families this Holiday Season
Programs You Support
Snack Packs Provide Weekend Meals for Kids
In Central Florida, one in five kids is at risk of going to bed hungry. Lisa, a parent engagement liaison at a local school, sees this harsh reality every day. “It’s heartbreaking to see a kid who hasn’t eaten over the weekend,” she explains. “They can’t think. They can’t learn. They just start crying. It makes me want to cry too.”Many of the students she works with have … [Read more...] about Snack Packs Provide Weekend Meals for Kids
Fighting Hunger After School
One in five Central Florida kids is facing hunger. Food is an important part of a kid’s education. As local students head back to school, they need nutritious meals to be ready for science experiments, vocabulary quizzes and long division. If something is as simple as a student is not concentrating, they're not focusing, or they're grumpy because they haven't eaten, let's go … [Read more...] about Fighting Hunger After School
Mercy Kitchen Cooks Up Hope This Summer
With generous support from Orange County Government’s CARES Act funding and community members like you, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida opened Mercy Kitchen just a few miles north of the Orlando warehouse in January 2021. The new location doubled the available space to prepare meals for childhood hunger relief programs like Kids Café and Summer Food Service Program. … [Read more...] about Mercy Kitchen Cooks Up Hope This Summer
Hope isn’t canceled.
Summer is made for neighborhood barbecues, pool parties, and watermelon eating contests. While many of us are looking forward to finding safe ways to gather this summer, these kinds of celebrations are off the table for thousands of families across Central Florida. The financial stress of providing breakfast and lunch for growing kids while schools are closed for the summer can … [Read more...] about Hope isn’t canceled.
