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Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida

Blogging at Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida

Fighting hunger. Feeding hope.

Fighting hunger. Feeding hope.

Mercy Kitchen Cooks Up Hope This Summer

June 29, 2021 by Erika Spence Leave a Comment

Exterior building of Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida's Mercy Kitchen facility.

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. Mercy Kitchen is currently producing 23,000 meals a day thanks to you.

Seven Days of Hope

Mercy Kitchen supports two new community meal initiatives developed during the pandemic. The first is a seven-day box program that provides a week’s worth of breakfasts and lunches for children, seniors and veterans. The boxes are loaded into trailers and distributed at community centers and feeding partners across Central Florida.

I didn’t know this kind of help was available.”

Darren, father of two children

Even though he recently started a new job, Darren continues to fall behind on rent and other bills. “Knowing my kids have food for the week ahead makes it easier for me to focus on getting back on track.”

Sharing a Meal Together

The second new program provides a home-cooked meal that families can enjoy together. The family meal box program features chef-inspired suppers like lasagna and enchiladas, plus breakfast items to feed a family for four to seven days depending on the size of the household. Each meal is distributed frozen and comes with reheating instructions.

“During this crisis, we’re not sure how to make ends meet,” says Robert, who helps distribute family meal boxes to residents at an Orange County senior center.

There are people out there who care, they open their hearts to serve their fellow man. Thank you.”

Forward Thinking

  • Contract meals for school lunches
  • A Spoon Full of Hope products
  • Award-winning catering

Additionally, Mercy Kitchen will be home to Second Harvest’s social entrepreneurial endeavors, such as providing contracted meals for private schools and its signature product line, A Spoon Full of Hope. Along with Drop and Go Catering, and Catering for Good services, these programs allow Second Harvest to diversify its funding stream and continue providing necessary resources to help sustain hunger relief efforts in Central Florida.

You can make a difference this summer.

Take action today
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Read More Stories of Your Impact

Students Eat Healthy with Your Help

March 16, 2022

You are Rebuilding Hope

March 15, 2022

1 Year of Hope from Mercy Kitchen

March 10, 2022

Filed Under: Hunger News, Programs You Support Tagged With: CARES Act, childhood hunger, Kids Cafes, meals, meals for kids, Mercy Kitchen, orange county, social entrepreneurship, Summer Food Service Program

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feedhopenow

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You can help make sure kids have a hunger-free sum You can help make sure kids have a hunger-free summer with a Virtual Food Drive. This online tool makes it easy to become a Hunger Hero and raise funds to provide nutritious meals for kids and their families. Learn more and get started at Virtual Food Drive #linkinbio.
It's blueberry season! For a limited time, enjoy l It's blueberry season! For a limited time, enjoy locally sourced Blueberry Honey, fresh from Dundee, Florida. This earthy and bold fruity flavor is pairs wells with ice cream, waffles or a warm biscuit. Available in 2 oz. & 2 lbs. from @aspoonfullofhope. Each purchase helps support Second Harvest's Culinary Training Program and its students in their pursuit of a new, sustainable career in food service. #blueberries #localhoney #aspoonfullofhope
It's almost here! The first-ever Ultimate Garden P It's almost here! The first-ever Ultimate Garden Party is just days away! There are still plenty of ways to get involved and support this mission of fighting hunger. 🎟️ Purchase tickets⏳  Bid on fabulous items in the Silent Auction🎁 Enter to win the Full Bloom Chance DrawingDetails at link in bio. #ultimategardenparty #orlandoevents #charityevents
Three cheers for volunteers! This group from @topg Three cheers for volunteers! This group from @topgolf Orlando built a record-setting 1530 COVID-relief boxes filled with nonperishable food during a recent volunteer shift. 🙌 📦 These boxes will be distributed to neighbors facing hunger in Central Florida.Learn more about group volunteer activities at #linkinbio. #volunteer #orlandogivesback #feedhopenow
"When my family moved from Poland to America, we w "When my family moved from Poland to America, we were very fortunate to come across food pantries assisted by special places like Second Harvest Food Bank. Since then, we’ve been trying our very best to give back in any way. You never know what kind of hardship you’ll run into in the future, regardless of your social stature. But knowing Second Harvest  is around means the world to so many." - Susie, @1031thewolforlando Morning WolfpackHear more from @SusieOnAir this weekend as she hosts the Ultimate Garden Party red carpet and shares glimpses of the event with you.
@Aspoonfullofhope has baked up a Limited-Edition B @Aspoonfullofhope has baked up a Limited-Edition Blueberry Lemonade Shortbread Cookie! . Each bite pops with the tartness of #blueberry and lemonade, complementing the butter and crumbly texture that give the cookie a subtle complexity your taste buds will love! #cookiesforgood #instacookies #feedhopenow
"Do I pay rent, or do I put food on the table? Do "Do I pay rent, or do I put food on the table? Do I fill the car [to get to work], or do I feed my kids?" These are the questions facing families across Central Florida.Second Harvest is still distributing about 60% more food daily than pre-pandemic. Find help if you need it, or learn how to get involved in the fight against hunger, at #linkinbio.
Today, inflation, skyrocketing grocery bills, and Today, inflation, skyrocketing grocery bills, and drastic rent hikes are forcing families to make difficult choices. With limited resources, too many parents skip meals so their kids can eat.But you can help. As a monthly donor - see link in bio - your support will provide twice as many meals to families this summer, thanks to a generous matching gift from Health First. #summer #match #feedhopenow
Ready, set, bid! The Ultimate Garden Party silent Ready, set, bid!  The Ultimate Garden Party silent auction is now open! Place your bids on travel packages, theme park tickets, dining experiences, gift baskets, and much more! 🏨 🍽️ 🏖️ Every dollar raised through the silent auction can help provide four meals to our neighbors facing hunger this summer. Bid now at link in bio. #ultimategardenparty #silentauction #bidearly #feedhopenow
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About Us

Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida is a member of Feeding America – the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the United States. Second Harvest secures and distributes food and grocery products to approximately 550 local nonprofit feeding programs throughout Central Florida. Last year, with the help of food and financial donors, volunteers and a caring, committed community, the food bank distributed more than 63 million meals to partner programs such as food pantries, soup kitchens, women’s shelters, senior centers, daycare centers and Kids Cafes. On average, Second Harvest is distributing enough food to feed 58,000 people a day.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit recognized by the IRS. Tax ID Number: 59-2142315 Email: info@feedhopenow.org

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Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida
411 Mercy Drive, Orlando, Florida 32805
(p) 407-295-1066
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