Moving from Winter Garden to Daytona Beach tightened finances for Hector and his wife.
The couple sought food assistance and arrived early in the morning for a mobile distribution at the Deltona Spanish SDA church.
“Food is always helpful, especially this month,” Hector said. “We’re moving and we spent a lot of money. This helps alleviate a tight financial situation.”
Many Central Florida families are just one extra or unexpected expense away from facing food insecurity, like Hector found out. Events like hurricanes can cause residents to miss work or incur expenses for home repairs.
The mobile distribution that helped the couple get through their transition period was one of six mobile distributions in October and November in Volusia County, made possible by county grant funding that Second Harvest received to continue supporting residents impacted by Hurricane Ian. The financial toll of a hurricane or other disaster can often be felt long after the storm passes.
Additionally, grant funding helped stock the shelves of Volusia County's feeding partners, which serve neighbors facing food insecurity. Second Harvest and its feeding partners were able to provide enough food for nearly 237,000 meals to Volusia County residents, offering ongoing relief from the storm's lasting impacts.
Neighbors at the distribution in Deltona received fresh produce, including bell peppers, corn, avocados, carrots, cabbage, sweet potatoes, and more. There were also eggs, milk and fresh meat available for those in line, in addition to shelf-stable staple items.
Lourdes, who runs the pantry at the church, said the mobile distributions usually serve at least 350 households, but that day it seemed like more.
“Today, it’s packed,” she said. “We’re seeing more and more all the time.”
In the 15 years she has been doing this, Lourdes said she has never seen anything like the growing levels of food insecurity she has seen recently. Neighbors tell her it is because of rising prices.
She said it makes her feel good to help make sure families have food to eat.
“If I have time to talk to neighbors, people say thank you because they had nothing to eat,” Lourdes said. “That’s what it’s all about.”
Although the storm and time have passed, residents are still feeling the financial strain of affording groceries on top of lingering repairs and monthly bills.
Celita was among the first in line at 6 a.m. She receives disability income, and her husband is a truck driver.
“Everything gets more and more expensive, and the pay hasn’t changed,” she said. “Groceries go up and up and never come down. It’s that and food, cars, everything – it’s all high.”
Her family receives $100 in SNAP benefits each month, which she stretches as far as she can, but the food she receives at the church is a huge relief.
“It’s stuff I don’t have to buy,” Celita said. “It will help everybody. I have grandkids, and they’ve got to eat. Life right now for everybody feels like it’s getting harder and harder.”
