Hunger Action Month started Sept. 1, and Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida is urging the community to get involved. According to the Central Florida organization, on any given day in Central Florida one in eight adults and one in six children experiences hunger.
“We continue to see more families finding themselves in a place they never imagined— needing help with food,” said Derrick Chubbs, President and CEO at SHFBCF. “Hunger Action Month is a reminder that it will take all of us to ensure that our friends and neighbors have the nutritious food they need to learn, work and thrive.”
While food insecurity remained stable or decreased in 2020 and 2021, it surged in 2022 due to rising food prices and the end of COVID-19 assistance programs, according to a Map the Meal Gap study. “The insights from this year’s study confirm what we hear from people facing hunger: elevated food prices and the hard choice between other household expenses like electricity, childcare, or medical bills are making hunger in America worse,” said Linda Nageotte, Feeding America president and chief operating officer.
Second Harvest offered these suggestions for ways Central Floridians can get involved:
- Donate 30 non-perishable food items, or $30 for 30 days
Host a virtual food drive
Attend a "Food for Thought” tour on Sept. 4 or 1
Attend the "Ten10 Brewing 30 in 30” event on Sept. 7
Wear orange on Sept. 10 for Hunger Action Day
Sign up to volunteer at Second Harvest’s distribution center or at Mercy Kitchen
Become a monthly meal maker
Take a pledge to advocate for hunger relief
Like and follow SHFBCF on social media More information about these opportunities can be found at www.FeedHopeNow.org.
SHFBCF is a member of Feeding America—the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the United States. SHFBCF secures and distributes food and grocery products to more than 750 local nonprofit feeding partners throughout Central Florida. The food bank distributes 300,000 meals every day to a sevencounty service area, which includes Brevard, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia.
In an effort to address the root causes of hunger, SHFBCF also invests in job training programs, advocates for access to nutritious foods, and inspires the community to get involved.
