At the heart of Second Harvest’s success lies the unwavering commitment of its volunteers. Last year, the Central Florida community witnessed an overwhelming display of generosity, as 46,433 volunteers stepped up to provide 139,608 hours of service for neighbors experiencing hunger. Second Harvest’s volunteers’ dedication and selfless service have touched countless lives.
Each year, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida honors and celebrates individual, corporate and special event volunteers. This year, the food bank recognized volunteers who assisted with the Ultimate Garden Party, Taste! Central Florida, Track Shack AdventHealth Corporate 5K, Share Your Christmas and other special projects like the Young Professionals Committee.
In recognition of their outstanding dedication, several volunteers received notable accolades.
Going the Extra Mile Award
Going above and beyond describes the dedication that Yolanda Mcleod-Terry has shown since joining the Second Harvest Board of Directors in the summer of 2023.
Serving in multiple capacities on the board, while also taking a vested interest in her employer’s (Bank of America) partnership with the food bank, has led to measurable impacts on the work of the food bank.
Yolanda has volunteered multiple times at the Orlando distribution center and Mercy Kitchen with fellow board members, her co-workers and her family.
She was present when a crew of sleepy-eyed volunteers crossed the 100,000-meal mark during the closing hours of the inaugural Hunger Never Sleeps event. She not only attended the fifth-annual Ultimate Garden Party but also helped ensure that the event flowed smoothly by assisting with volunteer recruitment.
Yolanda has consistently shown what it means to lead by example and has motivated others to take the extra step toward securing a hunger-free future.
Andre Reyna Youth Against Hunger Award
Andre Reyna, a young man of exceptional character, made a profound impact during his time at UCF. His commitment to social justice was evident through his regular involvement with the Second Harvest Food Bank and various local causes. Despite financial barriers, Andre believed everyone deserved access to life’s essentials. His memory continues to fuel the determination of his family, friends, and community. In honor of his enduring spirit, we present an annual award to individuals who exemplify the same selflessness and dedication to serving others as Andre did.
Evan has been such a help to the volunteer team and others since he started volunteering at Second Harvest in 2025. From the beginning, he has always been kind, dedicated, and responsible. He shows initiative and comes in early, ready to help with anything he sees that is needed or is asked of him and has logged 145 hours so far.
He also stays after the other volunteers have left to help with clean-up and reset of the work area. He provides leadership by helping other volunteers when he recognizes a need and by giving direction on projects he knows well.
Many volunteers develop a preference on which project they would like to assist with, but Evan is the epitome of a team player and is always willing to learn and help with anything. He shows up, prioritizes serving the community, and works until the job is done. He does so without complaints and with a big smile on his face.
David Pearlman Spirit of Volunteerism Award
Dave Pearlman, founder and proprietor of the renowned Orlando-based furniture company Kane’s Furniture, has made his name synonymous with his relentless passion for curbing food waste and helping people facing hunger.
Few, if any, have shown such unwavering dedication to feeding those facing hunger as Dave Pearlman did. Rising before dawn, he would traverse the city, collecting surplus food from restaurants and distributing it to feeding programs. His commitment extended to serving on the Board of Directors at Second Harvest. While Dave may no longer be with us, Second Harvest recognizes his commitment with an award to a volunteer with the same determined spirit each year.
Harold Sauter has shown he is a shining light and a great example of what it really means to step up. Harold, affectionately known to the food bank family as “Coach,” began volunteering at Second Harvest in August 2020, while the food bank was experiencing the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Harold didn’t stop there. Over the next two years, Coach looked for ways to increase his impact and, as he has done for much of his life, be an example to others. Early in 2022, Coach joined the ranks of the most dedicated and dependable volunteers and became a Volunteer Captain. Since then, his work ethic, encouraging words, and contagious positivity have had an impact on his fellow volunteers, the food bank staff, and the community at large.
Harold’s service has included serving as a volunteer captain for the inaugural Hunger Never Sleeps event, assisting with off-site special projects, and serving as an ambassador for the food bank at the RunDisney expo.
The volunteer team is glad to have Coach keep them motivated, encouraged, and sometimes entertained.
Immense Gratitude
The celebration would only be complete with heartfelt thanks to the Volunteer Captains.
These remarkable volunteers step up to the plate, assuming leadership responsibilities and lending a helping hand to fellow volunteers and volunteer groups. They mentor new volunteers, handle pallet jacks with expertise, take charge of projects as needed, and graciously cover for food bank staff to give them a well-deserved break.
Cheryl Faber and Barb Elkin joined the 50k Club, a small but mighty group of volunteers who provide more than 50,000 meals to kids, families and seniors facing hunger through their volunteerism each year.
In the 5 years of the award, 17 people have reached the accomplishment. Three have done it all five years – Al Delio, Evie Storlazzi and Steve Noppinger. The others who accomplished this in the past year are: Leslie Sikorski, Keith Wolling, Barry Pritchard and Jerry Hauck.
Volunteers for special events and community partnerships were also recognized at the event, with special recognition for Liz Buske and Samm Rials with the Young Professionals Committee, the WESH 2 team for Share Your Christmas, and Ryan Grail and Liz Buske with the Taste! Central Florida committee.
Thank you, volunteers. Whether mentioned above or not, each of you plays an integral role in fighting hunger and feeding hope. Your dedication and selfless service make an incredible difference in the lives of your neighbors. Together, we can create a world where no one experiences hunger.
