The New Normal of Hunger – and What We Can Do About It

“After I pay the rent, utilities, and daycare, I budget what’s left – and sometimes, there’s not enough left over to bring home groceries for my kids.” It’s a common refrain among visitors to Second Harvest’s network of community feeding partners across Central Florida. And many families seeking food assistance each month do not take it for granted.

Second Harvest distributes enough food for 300,000 meals per day, a level first reached at the height of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. That may seem surprising in a strong economy: Most people have jobs, pay is increasing and businesses that faltered over the last few years have begun to recover.

40 Years of Nourishing Lives

Like so many worthwhile things, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida started as a crazy idea among a group of big-hearted friends in the early 1980s. Little did they know that their discussions would be the launching pad for the future of hunger relief for millions of our Central Florida neighbors over the next four decades.

Second Harvest Food Bank has been nourishing lives and feeding hope for 40 years because caring people like you believe no one in our community should face hunger.

The journey is filled with milestones and moments of incredible impact. Watch our video and check out our timeline to see all that’s been accomplished since 1983, thanks to our unwavering community support.

This Summer, Storm Prep Is Critical for Florida’s Food Banks

For most people, “storm preparedness” means gathering bottled water and essentials, topping off the gas tank, and keeping one eye on the news. But what does it mean for the local food bank?

As Central Florida’s emergency food supply, Second Harvest Food Bank starts working on its storm prep checklist well in advance. When the new year begins, we’ve already begun stocking up on shelf-stable goods (canned vegetables, peanut butter, and pantry staples) and foods that can be prepared and eaten, even when the power goes ou