Stories of Hope

Central Floridians are working hard to keep their families nourished during the holidays, even as they navigate lingering impacts of the shutdown. As more people turn to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and its network of feeding partners for support this year, supporters like Winn-Dixie and the Winn-Dixie Gives Foundation are helping to ensure everyone can feel a sense of hope while sharing a meal together.

At a recent Thanksgiving-themed food distribution in Seminole County, the grocer teamed up with Second Harvest and Comite Civico, one of 870 feeding partners, to distribute turkeys and sides for a traditional holiday meal for 500 local families facing hunger ahead of the holiday.

“November is gratitude month and events like this are one of the ways we can show our gratitude and share it with others,” said Shawn Sloan, regional vice president for Winn-Dixie. “The holidays are tough, and we want to make sure we’re keeping our communities fed.”

Families lined up for hours, some arriving as early as 11:00 p.m. the night before, illustrating the growing number of families seeking help with food assistance this holiday season. Volunteers from Winn-Dixie joined community members to help load a variety of fresh produce into cars, along with nonperishable staples and a turkey.

“It’s sad that people need this kind of help,” says Lorena Ortega, who organized the food distribution for Comite Civico, adding, “but it’s happy too because we are here to help. It’s a mix of emotions at the same time.”

Lorena explains that Comite Civico started its food pantry during the pandemic. At the first distribution, 75 families showed up. Over time, the need has exploded and now the organization serves between 500 and 700 families each month.

Partnerships like this one with Winn-Dixie are critical to Second Harvest’s ability to distribute enough food for 300,000 meals a day across Central Florida. Every dollar donated to the food bank can help provide 40 meals, and hope, this holiday season.