ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – As winter break approaches, many Orange County families are facing a familiar concern: how to put food on the table when school meals stop.
For thousands of students, breakfasts and lunches provided at school are a primary source of daily nutrition. To help bridge that gap during the break, Orange County Public Schools partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida to distribute thousands of meals to families in need.
Second Harvest held food distributions Saturday at eight locations across Orange County, providing enough meals to support approximately 3,800 families. The effort is aimed at students who rely on school-provided meals during the academic year and may face food insecurity when school is not in session.
Greg Higgerson, chief development officer for Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, said short school breaks can place additional financial strain on families already struggling to make ends meet.
“In just a couple of weeks, we’re going to have the holiday break, and a lot of kids who would normally get food at school are going to be out with their families,” Higgerson said. “It’s a real burden for those families to come up with the extra money.”
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Higgerson said Saturday’s distributions reached hundreds of families at each site.
“At this location, we’re providing enough food for about 500 families, and across all eight locations this morning, about 3,800 families,” he said, speaking at Evans High School.
Many of the volunteers assisting with the food distribution were students themselves. Evans High School sophomores Gabrielle Chambers and Elizabeth Maye helped hand out meals to families throughout the morning.
“I’m grateful that we had the opportunity to be a part of this,” Maye said.
Chambers said access to food can directly affect students’ well-being and academic success.
“If they’re getting fed right and having what they need during the holidays, it can help them do better in school,” Chambers said.
Second Harvest said its eight distribution locations were selected in part to serve communities considered food deserts, where access to affordable and nutritious food is limited.
Higgerson said providing healthy food options, including fresh fruits and vegetables, is a priority during distributions.
“To be able to bring this kind of resource into that community at a time of year when they’re going to be struggling is great,” he said.
The need for food assistance, Higgerson added, spans the entire Orange County school district.
“About 65% of students across the district qualify for free or reduced lunch,” he said. “That’s literally every school, no matter where they’re located.”
Families who missed Saturday’s food distribution can find information about upcoming food drives here.