During the pandemic, Central Florida experienced record numbers of people looking for food assistance. Thanks to an outpouring of support from the community, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida increased food distribution from 150,000 to 300,000 meals a day.
After schools and businesses reopened, and people started to return to work, food distribution waned, but not for long. In 2022, Central Florida families faced one challenge after another, with inflation and two hurricanes impacting residents. Too often, household budget shortfalls led to devastating choices like skipping meals to pay rent. Food distribution levels once again climbed to 300,000 meals a day.
“Coming out of the pandemic, we were hit with rent going up, house prices going up, and many people, their jobs and their income did not go up to keep up with the inflation,” explains Imam Muhammad Musri, president of the Islamic Society of Central Florida.
As one of Second Harvest’s 625 feeding partners, the Islamic Society operates an emergency food pantry weekly. Twice a month, the group also hosts a drive-thru food distribution where volunteers load groceries into vehicles for local families to take home. These efforts help ease the stress on neighbors facing several challenges with putting food on the table, neighbors like Robert.
“As far as filling in the gaps, this food helps take some of the stress off,” Robert explains.
Robert, who lives with a disability, and his wife, have moved in with their son’s family. He comes to food distributions to stock the fridge and help out a tight bottom line. The groceries he takes home, from rice and beans to meat, fresh produce, and eggs, help ensure he and his family have a nutritious breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Second Harvest trucks deliver a variety of nonperishable and fresh foods for mobile food distributions like the one hosted by the Islamic Society two or three times daily across the seven-county Central Florida area. Delivering meals and hope brings a sense of relief to kids, families, and seniors facing hunger.
“I am grateful to all of these people here for the food, the good food that they give us,” says Luz, a food recipient at the Islamic Society distribution in east Orange County. “Everything is so expensive, but getting this food is giving me a relief.”
Last year, your help made it possible for 731 mobile food distributions to provide 14 million meals to neighbors like Robert and Luz.
