Second Harvest Food Bank Orlando Volunteer

Hurricane Ian Disaster Relief Efforts

Second Harvest Food Bank in Orlando seeking 450 volunteers

In partnership with more than 500 local food assistance programs, Second Harvest Food Bank has started providing disaster meals to the hardest-hit areas in our community.The food bank is back in operation and working at an âabove and beyondâ level to provide sustaining nutrition for families and seniors impacted by Hurricane Ian.Volunteers are sorting and packing disaster relief boxes in our main facility and preparing meals for shelters and home deliveries at Mercy Kitchen.The calls for additional food assistance have only just begun and will increase daily as families and seniors try to get back on their feet again. But we canât do it alone, we will need your support.

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Jingle Bell Run Orlando

Hosted by the Arthritis Foundation in Baldwin Park on December 10, the Jingle Bell Run is a holiday tradition with races all over the country,. Anyone can participate by walking or running in this 5K , but there a variety of other opportunities to help: decorations, water stations, and the Kids’ Zone. Cheer areas are great for any age! High schoolers in need of service hours are welcome.

Second Harvest Volunteers Rescue 195000 Pounds Of Fresh Produce

Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida volunteers were celebrated for their efforts in rescuing fresh produce. The critical need of hunger relief efforts recently received support from the International Fresh Produce Association at the close of its annual exhibition, which was held in Orlando recently.

At the close of the annual exhibition, more than a hundred volunteers rescued 196,285 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables. More than 100 tons of food was donated to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and distributed to its network of more than 500 community feeding partners.Here are some photos of the volunteers, provided by Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida:

In the wake of Hurricane Ian, Second Harvest has ramped up operations and is again distributing enough food for 300,000 meals a day a level reached at the height of the pandemic.

There are multiple ways to contribute to hunger relief efforts. To learn more, visit Second Harvest.

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Can I Sort Food In The Warehouse If Im Not Part Of A Group

Yes! Check out our volunteer registration calendar to find a day and time that work for you and ask each team member to sign up individually. Good times at our Cypress Center in North San Jose for individuals are the three-hour shifts weekday mornings starting at 9:00 a.m., Wednesday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

Second Harvest Food Bank Of Central Florida Orlando Fl

Be an established volunteer with SHFB and have at least 100 volunteer hours
Have helped out in all areas: sorting, production, etc.
Attend a Food For Thought tour. Sign up at www.FeedHopeNow.org.
Be available at least once a week and be at least 18 years old
Be flexible and help out in the areas that are most needed
Be able to provide directions to our volunteers
Be able to utilize a manual pallet jack
Have a desire to help make projects run smoothly and effectively all while the volunteers are enjoying themselves

Please note:

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I Want To Volunteer With My Family How Should We Sign Up

Families can volunteer together, either in our warehouses sorting food or in the community distributing food. Families of five or more should register as a group and families of less than five will need to register as individuals.

Each member of the family must register in advance, even if registering as a group. The group organizer will send a special link so each member can sign up. Youths ages 12 to 17 must register with their information, and include an accurate email address for their parent or guardian. A required electronic parental permission slip will then be emailed to the parent or guardian. Youths younger than 12 are not permitted to volunteer, even with their parents or guardians.

Become A Volunteer Captain

Be an established volunteer with SHFB and have at least 100 volunteer hours
Have helped out in all areas: sorting, production, etc.
Attend a Food For Thought tour. Sign up at www.FeedHopeNow.org.
Be available at least once a week and be at least 18 years old
Be flexible and help out in the areas that are most needed
Be able to provide directions to our volunteers
Be able to utilize a manual pallet jack
Have a desire to help make projects run smoothly and effectively all while the volunteers are enjoying themselves

Please note:

Retired Teacher Wendy Wing Began Volunteering Last October

ORLANDO, Fla. Ever since Wendy Wing found out about Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, she said its been rewarding to get results in her community.

I heard about it, but I didnt know about it. So, I had to go and find out about it, Wing recalled, just being able to be a servant and do this again. I was so used to doing that it was very natural for me to do that.

Wing, a New York native and retired Orange County teacher, signed up to volunteer last October.

I had all this time and I always wanted to be involved with Second Harvest, Wing said. I know from experience that children come to school hungry.

According to Second Harvest Food Bank in 2020, one in three children suffered from food insecurity as well as one in six adults in central Florida.

One of the best ways to show action is by volunteering. Volunteers are crucial to our mission we simply could not do what we do without them, said Mindy Ortiz, director of volunteer services.

The organization said its need of about 450 volunteers mainly to help out at their Mercy Kitchen location in Orlando.

Thats where we produce meals that go to children, they go to students, seniors and veterans and they have to get produced its not like we can say all right we didnt finish today were gonna get it done tomorrow. It has to happen today, Ortiz said.

For Wing, its about being part of the solution.

Nearby Dining Options To Explore

Second Harvest volunteer calls experience life-changing

Experience Kissimmee recognizes the fundamental equality of all individuals and does not support the discriminatory or prejudicial treatment of any person,whether a resident or visitor to our destination. As the official tourism authority for Osceola County, FL, our goal is to always provide a welcoming environmentand a positive experience for everyone. We embrace visitors from all backgrounds and cultures and do not discriminate against anyonebased on race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

ORLANDO, Fla. The Federal Reserve unleashed a .75% interest rate hike to tame inflation Wednesday.

U.S. inflation surged to a four-decade high last month, sitting at 9.1%, and it is reflected in rising gas prices, rent and food.

Consumers and businesses are feeling the pinch of high prices, including Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.

Greg Higgerson, chief development officer at the food bank, said it has been a big challenge, especially for low-income families across the region over the past few months.

The food bank distributes meals to a network of about 500 partners around Central Florida.

Higgerson said the number of people searching for food assistance is up 25% since June.

Pre-pandemic he said their facility distributed enough food for 150,000 meals a day.

Now, they send out at least 250,000 meals a day. Higgerson said inflation is a big factor in the increase.

Food Stamps: Floridians Await D

Floridians are waiting for federal relief after Hurricane Ian swept through the state at the end of September. While individual assistance has been declared, Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has not yet been approved.

According to the Florida Policy Institute, SNAP usually assists after a disaster in three ways:

Replacement SNAP benefits
Supplemental SNAP benefits

SNAP households may receive replacement SNAP benefits for the amount of food that was reported lost or destroyed, as long as it does not exceed their monthly SNAP allotment.

Supplemental SNAP can also help Florida households, which is extra SNAP for those receiving benefits when the disaster happened that were not at the maximum amount for their household size. The Florida Policy Institute states that the USDA Food and Nutrition Service must approve supplemental SNAP.

CNN reported that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved waivers to allow SNAP recipients in affected counties to buy hot foods with their benefits through October, receive replacement benefits and access their October benefits early.

The agency is also applying for D-SNAP, a federal program that helps low-income households who lost food because of a disaster. However, the USDA said it typically takes a week before communities are ready for D-SNAP benefits because survivors are primarily focused on immediate needs during this time.

Restaurants & Food Service Rescue Program

We can deliver your unsold prepared and perishable food or event leftovers directly to our smaller community partners. We provide donation records for your tax purposes.

Our current restaurant partners include Disneyland and Orange County School Districts.

For more information, please contact us at .

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About Second Harvest Food Bank Of Central Florida

Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida is working to alleviate hunger in communities across Central Florida. Over the last 36 years, we have established a pipeline of food distribution programs and a broad network of strategic feeding partner agencies that spans six counties along with specific outreach activities and programs to support underserved and underrepresented communities in the region. We distribute more than 118 million pounds, equivalent to approximately 96 million meals, annually from our main facility located in Orlando and two additional branches in Volusia and Brevard counties.

Our ability to connect with people and provide them access to fresh, nutritional food depends on our 550 incredible feeding partners which help distribute tens of millions of pounds of emergency food assistance annually for vulnerable individuals and families with children. Second Harvest has also put considerable effort into developing and prototyping programs that address root causes of hunger in Central Florida communities such as our nutrition education initiatives to help improve food literacy for adults and children and our professional development training programs for adults to help create opportunities for prosperity in our community that enhances lives. More information can be found at feedhopenow.org.

Mission: To create hope and nourish lives through a powerful hunger relief network, while multiplying the generosity of a caring community.

I Need Hours For School Can I Volunteer At Second Harvest

You can satisfy your school-service requirement while helping to end hunger in our community. We have volunteer opportunities sorting food in our warehouse and distributing food in the community that are very rewarding experiences for students. If you want to sort food or distribute food at one of our community sites, check out our volunteer registration calendar for specific dates and times, and to register for an upcoming shift. All volunteers must register in advance.

If any of our other volunteer opportunities interest you, please ask ahead of time if it counts for school hours. Please note that we do not sign third-party forms, including school-service forms. You can print out a volunteer timecard and bring it every time you volunteer. See our volunteer timekeeping policy for more information.

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What Is The Minimum Age To Volunteer

The minimum age is 12, and all volunteers under the age of 18 must have a signed electronic permission slip on file at least 48 hours before volunteering. In addition, there are chaperone requirements for youths ages 12 to 15 . Individual 16 and 17 year olds can volunteer without a chaperone but groups of 16 and 17 year olds do require chaperones . Some volunteer opportunities have other age requirements.

What If The Shift I Want Is Already Full

We are fortunate to have strong community support, but it means the shift you want may already be full. The highest demand for volunteering is during the holidays, but your help is needed all year long. If you find the volunteer shifts you want are filled already, please consider joining us after the holidays. In January, we need help sorting the food we collect during the holidays. Summer is a good time because half of what we distribute is fresh produce, and the harvests come in fast during those months.

Check out our list of volunteer opportunities for individuals. You can also check out volunteer opportunities at our partner agencies.

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Tax Filings And Audits By Year

The IRS Form 990 is an annual information return that most organizations claiming federal tax-exempt status must file yearly. Read the IRS instructions for 990 forms.

If this organization has filed an amended return, it may not be reflected in the data below. Duplicated download links may be due to resubmissions or amendments to an organizationâs original return.

Nonprofit organizations that spend $750,000 or more in Federal grant money in a fiscal year are required to submit an audit covering their finances and compliance. Some of these are program specific, while others, called single audits, look at the entire organization. Nonprofit Explorer has PDFs of these audits for some nonprofits for fiscal year 2015 and later. Theyre provided by the Federal Audit Clearinghouse.

The Internal Revenue Service is substantially delayed in processing and releasing nonprofit filings, so documents available here may not be the most recent an organization has filed. ProPublica posts new tax forms as they are released by the IRS.

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Nonprofit Explorer includes summary data for nonprofit tax returns and full Form 990 documents, in both PDF and digital formats.

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Second Harvest And Red Cross Partner To Feed Families Impacted By Hurricane Ian

Second Harvest Food Bank in need of volunteers

In the wake of a disaster like Hurricane Ian, the American Red Cross and Second Harvest Food Bank have a shared mission: Be sure no one goes hungry.

In Orlando, the two organizations have worked together for years.

I dont know exactly when it all started, but they have been a great partner, Michele Shepherd said of Second Harvest. Shes been a volunteer with the Greater Orlando Chapter of the Red Cross for 16 years.

The day before Ian tore across Florida, a team of volunteers and staff from Second Harve gathered at six in the morning to unload a food delivery and then headed home to wait.

The day after the storm, the team regrouped at their Orlando warehouse and organized a volunteer shift to start preparing food for those most impacted. The Red Cross pays for the ingredients or shelf-stable items used.

Our volunteers and team members came in Saturday morning and started making shelf stable boxes that the Red Cross could leave with people in need, said Nancy Brumbaugh, chief food services officer for Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.

We got our first call from the Red Cross about noon asking for our help. I just said, Come on down, were ready for you.

The food bank prepared 2,100 hot meals and another 2,500 cold meals on Oct. 8 to be distributed at local Red Cross-run shelters and on emergency response trucks that deliver hot food and snacks to the hardest hit communities within about an hour of Orlando.

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Family Opportunities To Volunteer In Orlando This Holiday Season

Looking for ways to share your holidays with others? Families can volunteer in Orlando this holiday season, as parents and children help their neighbors in the community. The holiday season can be especially tough for those in need and offers a wonderful chance to give back, especially during winter break and school vacations. Read below for just some of the many deserving local organizations and programs to volunteer in Orlando!

Whatever your family’s cause, there are ways for you and your children to help! Kids may even find that the joy of sharing and generosity is so wonderful, they’ll want to do it all year long. Happy holidays to all our Mommy Poppins families!

Need more ideas this holiday season? Enjoy Breakfast with Santa and More Holiday Characters in Orlando to start Christmas off right. Then of course, hit up one of the excellent Must-Do Orlando Christmas and Holiday Events for 2022!

Cereal4All is all about getting breakfast and happiness to those who need it most. Photo courtesy Cereal4All

Can I Distribute Food In The Community If Im Not Part Of A Group

Yes! Generally, our food distribution events are completely volunteer-run. Refer to our volunteer registration calendar to register for an upcoming shift. We also need individuals who are able to commit to volunteering on a regular basis. To see types of volunteer roles we need at food distribution events, check here.

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Volunteers Help Keep Orlando Food Bank Going During Pandemic

ORLANDO, Fla. â Throughout the pandemic, many groups and nonprofits are relying on the help of volunteers to keep their operations running.

What You Need To Know

Volunteers keep Second Harvest Food Bank running

Many organizations have relied on the help of volunteers amid the pandemic

60-80 volunteers show up daily to get food ready for distribution

âSecond Harvest Food Bank in Orlando utilizes a team of volunteers to make sure the central Florida community doesnât go hungry. And during National Volunteer week, theyâre recognizing the vital role they play in keeping families fed.

âI canât imagine not coming here,â said Brian Straub, a volunteer at Second Harvest.

Every Tuesday and Thursday, Straub shows up ready to help out. It’s a routine, he said, that’s always on his calendar.

âI mean it saddens my heart if I have to cancel one of those days,â Straub said.

Missing a day, he said, seems unimaginable just six months after he started volunteering.

âI lost a couple of my jobs and was like âoh, Iâve got to find something to do.â I just retired in 2018 so I just started looking at websites and I found Second Harvest,â Straub said.

âVolunteers are vital to the success of our mission, we really truly couldnât do what we do without their support,â said Mindy Ortiz, Director of Volunteer Services at Second Harvest Food Bank.

âAnd Iâve enjoyed every minute of it,â he said.