Hunger did not take a summer break, but thanks to you, our caring community of food and financial donors, volunteers, parters and advocates, thousands of Central Florida kids had worry-free, hunger-free summer.
Thank you for being part of a community that cares enough to ensure kids and families have access to the food resources needed to make up for the pause in school-provided meals. Your collective efforts made it possible to fight hunger in remarkable ways this summer, making sure kids and families had nourishing meals on the table while school was out.
58 Summer Sites
Second Harvest’s Summer Food Service Program hit the road on June 1 to deliver fresh, nutritious breakfasts, lunches and snacks to kids. The program served about 1,700 children every day at 58 summer camps, childcare centers, parks and other programs across five Central Florida counties. During the 10-week summer break, 155,506 meals were provided for free to kids ages 18 and under.
This summer, the rural non-congregate model sites doubled from two to four locations, including the first in Seminole County. The traditional model requires meals to be eaten onsite at pre-determined times. The rural version allows meal boxes with seven breakfasts and seven lunches per kid to be picked up weekly during a specific window of time for kids to eat at home, and 41% of all summer meals served were done so through the non-congregate model.
Feeding partners in Mascotte, Stuckey, Eustis and Sanford played a crucial role in fighting childhood hunger this summer, distributing 64,064 meals and serving approximately 700 children each week. Their dedication and support were instrumental to kids and families in rural Lake and Seminole counties.
The program was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, along with additional support from Orange County and No Kid Hungry.
Over 300,000 Meals a Day
Second Harvest and its more than 800 feeding partners were out in force this summer to distribute enough food for 300,000 meals daily to kids and families at emergency food pantries, community meal programs and shelters.
In addition, 204 mobile food distributions provided enough fresh produce, meats, dairy and pantry staples for more than 3.4 million meals to neighbors in food deserts and rural communities across Brevard, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia Counties during the 10-week summer break.
Behind the scenes, dedicated food bank volunteers were the unsung heroes of the summer. Your hard work was invaluable, from hosting food and fund drives, to sorting food donations, and preparing meals at Mercy Kitchen. More than 9,500 of you donated over 28,500 hours this summer. Thank you for your selfless contributions!
Career Pathways Launched
While most students were out of school, Second Harvest expanded its workforce-training opportunities this summer.
Building on the success of its Culinary Training program, Career Pathways launched with the addition of a new track in Customer Service.
The first cohort of Customer Service job seekers completed the program in August.
Additionally, 17 alumni from the Culinary Training track graduated in June and embarked on new careers in the food-service industry. The next Career Pathways graduation this fall will include participants in both tracks for the first time.
By investing in workforce education and training, you are transforming lives.
More Milk for Neighbors
As a partner food bank of Feeding Florida, Second Harvest was able to distribute more than three times more milk from May to July 2026 compared to the same time in 2025.
Through the Farmers Feeding Florida program, which is supported by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Second Harvest distributed more than 1.012 million pounds of dairy to kids, families and seniors this summer.
The program creates partnerships for Florida farmers, ranchers and growers to provide surplus food to local food banks like Second Harvest. In this instance, a Florida dairy farmer that provides milk to schools during the school year can redirect milk to food banks like Second Harvest during summer break, ensuring this important food source dies not go to waste.
Your kindness and generosity made it possible for kids to have the worry-free summer they deserve. Thanks to your support, local students and families across Central Florida are entering the new school year ready to learn and filled with hope. Your actions have truly made a difference.
