Volunteers Fight Hunger and Spark Change by Sorting Donated Food

Fighting hunger requires a community-wide effort.

Food is the first key ingredient. Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida gets much of its food from grocery industry partners. Through its Retail Rescue program, stores like Walmart and Sam’s Club donate millions of pounds of fresh produce, dairy products, baked goods, frozen meat and nonperishable items each year.

Volunteering to Bring Joy to Others 

Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida has an elite group of volunteers who consistently go above and beyond the role of a typical volunteer. They are called Volunteer Captains.  

Captains have the experience and leadership skills to show newer volunteers how to perform the tasks of a shift.  They lead projects, train new volunteers, and support warehouse operations.

Volunteering helps bridge the gap for families facing hunger

With every volunteer shift, Leslie feels she impacts the community.

In the last year she volunteered with Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida at community events like the Thornton Park New Year’s Eve Block Party and the annual Ten10 Amateur RibFest and at a food rescue at the UNFI Food Show. Her favorite place to volunteer is Second Harvest’s Mercy Kitchen.

Food Assistance Helps Families Cope as Prices Go Up

Isa, a mother of three from Orlando, regularly visits Jewish Family Services for help with food, diapers, and other essentials. Over the past two years, she has turned to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida feeding partner whenever her family needed extra support. Lately, she has needed help more often.