Transforming 500 Lives… and Counting

Since 2013, Second Harvest’s Culinary Training Program has offered adults facing barriers to employment with the culinary and life skills training needed to pursue full-time careers in the food industry.

A fresh start thanks to you

It only takes a slight rent increase, an unexpected expense like a flat tire, or a visit to the emergency room to cause a family to face the unthinkable: hunger. For one in eight Central Floridians, that’s the reality.
Sania and her family moved out of Orlando last year to find more stable housing in Lake County. That meant paying deposits, finding new jobs and settling into new schools. Some days, it felt like too much.

A Helping Hand for Seniors

When they retired, Michele and her husband moved to Florida to be close to family. Her son and his wife had good jobs and four young kids but needed extra help.

“Things are tight for everybody,” Michele explains, adding that childcare is expensive, and that’s if you can find it. She became their nanny, a second career that paid in laughter and cherished memories.

“It’s Not a Job, It’s a Career.”

“I came in with absolutely no skills, and they taught me,” says Jeremy, reflecting on how far he’s come on his career journey. “And now I’m doing everything I wanted to do in the kitchen.”
A health crisis and his mom’s death sent Jeremy into a tailspin. He lost his job and tried working odd jobs to provide for his growing family. He and his wife were expecting another child. It was time to try a new path forward.