One in six kids in Central Florida lives in a food-insecure household. To combat childhood hunger, it is essential to ensure that families have access to nutritious food at home.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida’s School Partnership Program supports in-school markets at more than 70 schools. At Campbell Middle School in Daytona Beach, students help distribute take-home bags filled with food for the whole family.
“What we do back there is we pack food in bags,” explains Austin, a sixth grader who volunteers in The SHIELD market once a week, “Sometimes we put rice, mac and cheese, oatmeal, some canned goods, and we also put a juice box in there.”
Then he totes the bags out to waiting cars, where he gets to interact with his school community.
“It does make me feel good. It makes me feel like I’m actually helping the community,” says Austin.
SHIELD stands for Supporting Healthy Intergenerational Educational Leadership Development. Linda Huger, Director of Community Partnerships at Campbell Middle School, leads the program. As a former educator, she knows hunger can hinder student success.
“The partnership with Second Harvest is a game changer,” Linda says. “Hunger produces negative behaviors, sickness, distractions, and when kids can’t think, they can’t learn.”
Once a week, Linda assembles a group of students, including Austin, to help pack grocery totes filled with nonperishable foods. Once a month, the same team also helps distribute fresh produce.
For parents, the market is a welcome relief.
“They’re trying their best working minimum wage jobs,” she says. She points out that it isn’t enough. Their community faced historic flooding during the 2024 hurricane season. Many families still are not back home or face costly repairs.
“They just can’t make ends meet, so this is a great help to them,” Linda says. New families reach out for support each week. She hears about soaring prices for food, car insurance, and housing, and how many simply need a little help.
Austin encourages others to join his effort to uplift his community, saying, “What we do here is help families in need, and if you come help us, it will be very helpful.”
