ORLANDO, Fla. – Data shows one in seven people in Central Florida experience hunger or food insecurity due to a variety of causes, including affordable housing, employment barriers and other expenses.
Summer break poses an increased risk for school children because more than 60% of Central Florida students qualify for free or reduced lunch, but only about 9% are able to take advantage of free summer meal programs.
Second Harvest Summer Food Service provides thousands of meals daily for students at more than 90 different sites.
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Volunteers at Mercy Kitchen at Second Harvest Food Bank in Orlando gather daily to help pack 7,000 breakfasts and lunches for school age children.
Second Harvest has been serving free summer meals for 17 years and continues efforts to fill the gap to reach as many children at risk for food insecurity as possible.
“Hunger doesn’t take a summer break. When schools close, many parents struggle with the added expense of providing breakfast and lunch for their children.” Nancy Brumbaugh, chief food service officer at Second Harvest, said.
This summer, in an effort to reach more students in rural communities, Second Harvest expanded into Lake County with two weekly distribution sites in Stuckey and Mascotte.
“We make sure children are getting nutritious meals with whole grains, fresh or frozen fruit, and lean proteins,” Brumbaugh explains. “Everything we provide meets healthy nutrition standards but still tastes good - it’s a win-win.”
“It’s fun seeing the same kids for breakfast and lunch every day. They’re here for summer camp or daycare, especially the little ones, and they’re here for long days. Getting to know them and being part of helping these kids is just remarkable,” Dan Francoforte, site director, said.
Amid inflation and rising food costs, Second Harvest serves 300,000 meals daily across all of its programs and partnerships, including Medically Tailored Meals for those with health issues.
For more information about Second Harvest’s programs and their locations, click here.