At the heart of Second Harvest’s success lies the unwavering commitment of its volunteers. Last year, the Central Florida community witnessed an overwhelming display of generosity, as 42,433 volunteers stepped up to provide 127,486 hours of service for neighbors experiencing hunger. Second Harvest’s volunteers’ dedication and selfless service have touched countless lives.
Each year, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida honors and celebrates individual, corporate and special event volunteers. This year, the food bank recognized volunteers who assisted with the Ultimate Garden Party, Taste! Central Florida, Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend, T.G. Lee’s Milk Run 5K and other special projects like the Young Professionals Committee.
In recognition of their outstanding dedication, several volunteers received notable accolades.
Most Inspirational Virtual Food Drive Award
Each year, individuals and companies organize virtual food drives to rally their friends, family, colleagues and community to raise much-needed funds for the fight against hunger.
J.J. Lullen’s passion for fighting hunger is evident not only in everything he does here at the food bank, but also at the organization he manages, Hope Worldwide, an international humanitarian aid organization affiliated with the International Churches of Christ.
His most recent virtual food drive raised enough to provide more than 11,000 meals for neighbors facing hunger.
A dedicated volunteer and leader, J.J. always gets others involved and engaged, whether it is during a regular volunteer shift, or leading a food drive, both physically and virtually, every year for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Andre Reyna Youth Against Hunger Award
Andre Reyna, a young man of exceptional character, made a profound impact during his time at UCF. His commitment to social justice was evident through his regular involvement with the Second Harvest Food Bank and various local causes. Despite financial barriers, Andre believed everyone deserved access to life’s essentials. His memory continues to fuel the determination of his family, friends, and community. In honor of his enduring spirit, we present an annual award to individuals who exemplify the same selflessness and dedication to serving others as Andre did.
This year, the award was presented to Cooper Boris, a young man who took charge of improving operations at Edgewater High School’s School Market with the food bank’s School Partnerships Program.
During the 2024-25 school year, Edgewater High distributed enough food for 10,283 meals. Students, particularly Cooper, the market manager, led much of this work. Under his leadership, the Eagles Market saw more than 14,500 shopping visits this school year and distributed produce to more than 380 households through the Fresh Market program.
Cooper volunteered for at least 120 hours for the School Partnerships Program at his school. He stepped up as the main point of contact, even though that is not the expectation for student volunteers. He handled all aspects of operations, including placing orders, budgeting, hosting site visits, compliance monitoring, and more.
David Pearlman Spirit of Volunteerism Award
Founder and proprietor of the renowned Orlando-based furniture company Kane’s Furniture, Dave Pearlman’s name has become synonymous with his relentless passion for curbing food waste and helping people facing hunger. Few, if any, have shown such unwavering dedication to feeding those facing hunger as Dave Pearlman did. Rising before dawn, he would traverse the city, collecting surplus food from restaurants and distributing it to feeding programs. His commitment extended to serving on the Board of Directors at Second Harvest. While Dave may no longer be with us, Second Harvest recognizes his commitment with an award to a volunteer with the same determined spirit each year.
This past year, Al Delio proved that same dedication.
His presence has a reassuring effect on Second Harvest’s volunteer team, knowing that his flexibility and constant availability are unique.
Al is one of the food bank’s volunteer captains, who are an extension of the operations staff. He routinely supplies invaluable assistance to staff. Beyond typical volunteer captain roles, he has volunteered for greater challenges and bigger responsibilities on his route to clocking more than 5,600 volunteer hours since 2016.
During his time volunteering, he stepped in to run volunteer projects. He has volunteered at special events and offsite projects. He does not just respond to need; he actively seeks out opportunities to be more helpful to the food bank. Often, Al holds off on signing up for volunteer shifts until he sees where the greatest need is and inserts himself there.
If the duty of a volunteer captain is to motivate, encourage, inspire or uplift other volunteers, Al fulfills his duty and then some. He shows up when the going gets tough and stays until the work is done.d feed hope. The most recent concert helped provide over 120,000 meals for kids, families and seniors facing hunger in Central Florida.
Immense Gratitude
The celebration would only be complete with heartfelt thanks to the Volunteer Captains.
These remarkable volunteers step up to the plate, assuming leadership responsibilities and lending a helping hand to fellow volunteers and volunteer groups. They mentor new volunteers, handle pallet jacks with expertise, take charge of projects as needed, and graciously cover for our staff to give them a well-deserved break.
Jerry Hauck and Justin Molloy joined the 50k Club, a small but mighty group of volunteers who provide more than 50,000 meals to kids, families and seniors facing hunger through their volunteerism each year.
Volunteers for special events and community partnerships were also recognized at the event, with special recognition for: Ryan Grail, former chair with the Young Professionals Committee; Donna Rowe, with runDisney; Danielle Lajeunesse and Andrea Patenaude, with the Taste! Central Florida committee; and Andrea Patenaude and Daniel Betancourt, with the Ultimate Garden Party committee.
Thank you, volunteers. Whether mentioned above or not, each of you plays an integral role in fighting hunger and feeding hope. Your dedication and selfless service make an incredible difference in the lives of your neighbors. Together, we can create a world where no one experiences hunger.
