“The rent eats first,” explains Paula at a food distribution event in Orange City. She and many neighbors lined up to receive groceries at a mobile food distribution event in Orange City before sunrise. “I’m just trying to make things work out,” explains Paula, a single mom juggling work, school and busy kids. Root causes of hunger, like lack of affordable housing, … [Read more...] about You Are Feeding Families and Futures
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Donna’s Story
Donna has always been a caregiver, devoting her life to nursing and tending to countless patients. Today, her most important patient is her husband, Jim, whose health is failing, and he can no longer work. She never thought she would be on the receiving end of the kindness and care she has extended to others. We all have needs, and we all have hard times." - … [Read more...] about Donna’s Story
Benefits Connection: Reflecting on 15 Years of Helping Neighbors Put Food on the Table
Vangie Booth has been part of the Benefits Connection team since 2008 and witnessed how the program has evolved to meet the community's needs. She helped steer the program through the pandemic, pivoting from an in-person model to over the phone and reintroducing the program to the community. Here are her reflections on 15 years of fighting hunger through the Benefits Connection … [Read more...] about Benefits Connection: Reflecting on 15 Years of Helping Neighbors Put Food on the Table
Second Harvest’s Benefits Connection Program Marks 15 Years of Community Impact
Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida launched its Benefits Connection Program at the peak of the Great Recession. Connecting people to food assistance benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was a new approach for the Food Bank. Still, with thousands of workers unemployed, it was a vital resource to help keep food on the … [Read more...] about Second Harvest’s Benefits Connection Program Marks 15 Years of Community Impact
This Summer, Storm Prep Is Critical for Florida’s Food Banks
For most people, “storm preparedness” means gathering bottled water and essentials, topping off the gas tank, and keeping one eye on the news. But what does it mean for the local food bank? As Central Florida’s emergency food supply, Second Harvest Food Bank starts working on its storm prep checklist well in advance. When the new year begins, we’ve already begun stocking up … [Read more...] about This Summer, Storm Prep Is Critical for Florida’s Food Banks