Every day at Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, the warehouse hums with energy — and not just from staff. It’s the steady rhythm of volunteer teams from across Central Florida: coworkers from banks, healthcare systems, theme parks, tech firms, and more, all stepping away from their desks to make a real, tangible impact in their community.
Among these dedicated groups, Universal Orlando consistently shows up with volunteers who bring a deep commitment to fighting hunger. The volunteers sort food, pack boxes for the Bites, Camera, Action! program, and even help at resource fairs and food distributions.
Bites, Camera, Action! is a mobile nutrition program that has distributed supplemental food to students and their families since 2012. The Food Bank partners with Universal Orlando, Universal Orlando Foundation, local elementary and middle schools, and community sites to bring BAC to children and families in Orlando.
One of Universal’s volunteer teams is the Silver Stars, made up of retired Universal employees who now volunteer together monthly. Funded by the Universal Orlando Foundation, the Silver Stars bring decades of experience to the warehouse.
Linda, who started at Universal in 1988 and retired in 2020, has been volunteering at Second Harvest since 2001.
“I like that neighbors are able to get a nutritious meal they normally might not get to have because of my work,” she said.
Dave and Denise, who retired two years ago, are also part of the Silver Stars. They began volunteering while still working at Universal and never stopped.
“It’s nice to see old friends,” said Denise. “It goes to a good cause, and it’s nice to see and feels good when you’re done.”
“They’re awesome,” said Allyson Wilkenson, the program manager with Universal Orlando’s public relations department. “They have so many skills and worked in all areas of the company. They are still representing the company by serving the community and still get to socialize with each other.”
Universal’s current team members are just as dedicated. On a recent shift, employees from departments several of the company’s departments teamed up to sort donations and pack food boxes.
“Eating is something that everyone needs to be able to do, and I find it personally rewarding to assist our community and those in need,” said Hunter Hunsucker, who works in Universal’s talent acquisition department. “It’s a super fun environment, and at the end of the day you can clearly see your impact on the community.”
“I like volunteering here because I know what to expect, and I know that things are going to be streamlined,” added Zaina El-Demerdash, who works in finance. “I know that I can trust that things are actually going to go where they say they are, and I like hanging out with the people.”
Jessica and Victor Iaconis, part of the Universal creative team, brought their two daughters along for the experience.
“We volunteer because it’s a great opportunity for us and our kids to give back to our community and to learn,” said Jessica.
“It’s just a great local charity that helps a lot of people and food insecurity is really important to us, making sure everybody has enough to eat,” Victor added.
When asked why it’s important to them to give back and fight hunger, the volunteers’ answers reflected gratitude and wanting to support neighbors.
“For whom much is given, much is expected,” said Hunter. “And I’ve taken that throughout life, and I enjoy giving back to others.”
Universal Orlando is one of many local companies stepping up, shift after shift, to fight hunger in Central Florida.
