ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Families lined up hours before a back-to-school food drive began Saturday morning at Colonial High School, highlighting an ongoing need for food assistance across Orange County.
Although Orange County Public Schools provides free meals for students, those meals do not always cover nights, weekends, or other members of the household.
According to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, about 1 in 7 people across its seven-county service area experience food insecurity. That represents roughly 650,000 Central Florida residents. Among children, the rate climbs to 1 in 5.
Orange County alone accounts for an annual gap of approximately 42.8 million meals, according to Second Harvest.
Orange County Commissioner Mayra Uribe said some families arrived hours before Saturday’s distribution began.
“None of us are exempt from what could happen, whether it’s a job loss, whether, you know, anything traumatic that happens in our life,” Uribe said.
Access to affordable, nutritious food also remains a challenge in parts of the region. Hebni Nutrition Consultants has identified 16 food deserts across Central Florida, including areas of Pine Hills, South Apopka, Parramore and Winter Garden.
A food desert is generally defined as a low-income area where residents have limited access to supermarkets or other stores selling affordable, healthy food.
During Saturday’s drive, families remained in their vehicles while volunteers loaded food directly into their trunks. Numbers placed on the windshields indicated how much food each household would receive.
Each distribution included a frozen chicken and a box containing oats, peanut butter and other groceries supplied by Second Harvest.
One woman attending the drive, identified as Nancy, said the food would help her family put meals on the table as work has become more difficult while caring for her mother.
Organizers said the demand was apparent before the event began. A similar food drive held in July ran out of food in just 45 minutes, prompting organizers to double the amount ordered for Saturday’s distribution.
Uribe said the drive was open to anyone who needed assistance.
“This is not a moment of judgment,” Uribe said. “This is a moment of community.”