Save the Date: Tuesday, December 3, 2024
Join Second Harvest Food Bank and WESH2 News in an inspiring day of action! Tune in LIVE on-air and on Facebook throughout the day to see the impact of your support and discover how you can make a difference right now. Catch us from 6-10 am, noon to 1 pm, and 4-6:30 pm for stories of hope and resilience!
Every day, families across Central Florida are forced to make impossible choices between essentials like food, rent, and medicine. But working together, we can provide hope and stability to neighbors facing hard times. With your support, we’re serving 300,000 meals daily to neighbors in Brevard, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia counties.
Your generosity brings hope to those who need it most - join us in turning compassion into action this Giving Tuesday.
Your support on this special Giving Tuesday has a powerful impact on your neighbors. See how you can make a difference for neighbors like Rose and Michele:
Food or Bills
"I was doing well," recalls Rose as she selects fresh vegetables from a food distribution in Kissimmee. Rose, a dedicated healthcare worker, works six days a week at two jobs. Despite her hard work, it is not enough to keep up with the inflated cost of living and outstanding medical debt.
"Just like that," she says and snaps her fingers, "Debts accrue, and all of a sudden, everything is downhill. Sometimes, I have to put food on the back burner and worry about other bills."
Rose perseveres and prioritizes essential bills like rent and a car loan. With the support from a food pantry supported by Second Harvest Food Bank, she takes home produce, bread, and canned goods. The food is more than just sustenance, it is a lifeline in her daily battle to survive.
"Every day, I'm going to fight the good fight, get up, work as hard as I can, and do my best. That's all I can do."
With one less worry off the table, Rose continues to strive forward, one day, one meal at a time.
Giving and Receiving
Michele is a wife, a mother and a devoted volunteer. She lives in Orlando with her husband, Bill, a disabled veteran, and her autistic son. She also struggles with medical conditions that prevent her from working. With the inflated cost of rent, utilities and groceries, there were days Michele went without food to make sure her son could eat.
"It was hard," Michele recalls. "I was wondering where our next meal was coming from."
One day, Michele went to a mobile food distribution hosted by a Second Harvest Food Bank feeding partner. "My husband and I are diabetic. We rely on all the fresh foods," Michele explains. "If we didn't have you guys at Second Harvest, we wouldn't make it otherwise."
Volunteers filled the back of her truck with quality, nutritious food, including boxes of meat, fresh produce, and nonperishable items, all of which help stabilize her family.
Despite facing their own day-to-day challenges, Michele and her family dedicate their time to helping others, a testament to their resilience and compassion.
"I'm receiving too, but it feels good for me to give back," Michele says.
Give your Giving Tuesday gift early.
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