According to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, one in six kids in Central Florida are at risk of going hungry. That’s why Second Harvest and school districts throughout the area are partnering up to provide free food on school campuses.
Gunner is a fourth grade student at College Park Elementary in Marion County. He loves learning, his baby sister and art.
“I love art. I literally have so much art stuff in my room that I just do what I want with it,” Gunner said.
His family recently moved back to the Ocala area from Pennsylvania and needed help.
Gunner’s mom, Jennifer, says they are a single-income household with three kids. They rely on the help they get at the Husky Den, a place where families can get food, clothes and medical services at their school.
“You know, with the prices of everything rising, it's just hard with the bills. And do we pay the bills so we can eat? Or do we eat? And, you know, our electric gets shut off, or our water, so, like getting the food here helps us out a lot,” Jennifer said.
Nearly ninety schools across seven counties in Central Florida have partnered with the food bank to provide free, healthy food for students and their families. Jennifer says it’s done in a stigma-free environment that makes Gunner feel comfortable picking up food.
“Yeah, so usually, my child will bring a bag home every week, and usually that helps us get through. But sometimes, maybe once or twice a month, I'll pop into the Husky Den and see what they have and get what we need,” Jennifer said.
How the program works
At this school, they distribute food out of a portable near the entrance for both students and parents. At some other schools, the food might be distributed by teachers and principals in a discreet bag.
Briana Rebello is with Second Harvest and runs the program, which has a waitlist of 58 schools.
“So school partnerships really are all about access and meeting the students where they're at, meeting their families where they're at because they're already there five days a week,” Rebello said.
The program began in 2017. Schools are chosen based on student need.
Rebello says inflation means that more families have come to rely on free food they get at school. Families also have concerns about proposed changes to the federal SNAP program, that would tighten work requirements and end SNAP access for some immigrant groups which could mean more people need help.
In Marion County, where Gunner lives 22% of children face hunger daily, according to Second Harvest’s Map the Meal Gap Report.
In most districts kids only get free breakfast and lunch through the USDA’s free and reduced food program. Rebello said Second Harvest makes sure kids get dinner, and snacks along with weekend food bags.
“Food security is crucial to development, especially in young children. Getting proper nutrition is going to help them thrive. And then we're asking kids to spend eight hours a day, five days a week, sitting in the classroom to learn. So that they can effectively learn, they need to have food in their bellies,” Rebello said.
Food insecurity: a growing problem in Florida and beyond
A recent USDA report found that hunger is growing in the United States. The report showed that food insecurity in Florida, along with 27 other states is also on the rise.
The same report found 3% more Florida households experienced food insecurity between 2022 and 2024, compared to 2019 through 2021.
This is something that Second Harvest food bank has noticed. But also food banks at local colleges like the food pantry at the University of Central Florida. Their food pantry is run completely by students at the school and with donations from the community.
Jeannie Kiriwas is the director of Knights Pantry. She said that more students are in need of help.
“I've been working with the pantry at the University of Central Florida for about 10 years now, and we have seen steady increases, including some fairly large increases starting in about 2022 and we do see that steady progression of more students who need assistance,” Kiriwas said.
Kiriwas said a number of factors are to blame.
“Rent is very expensive in Central Florida. We're a city where you need to have some transportation available to you, and car costs, insurance costs and gas costs can add up. Sometimes those things are not covered by scholarships. So even if you're a scholarship student, you may not be getting a scholarship for your car insurance. So it can add up. And there are students who are also living at home with their families, but when their families feel financial strain, they feel it as well,” Kiriwas said.
Kiriwas says Knights Pantry is looking for more food donations to meet the need. Second Harvest has also asked for more donations of food and money, and for more volunteers.
Feeding them where they’re at
Cruz Diaz is the principal of Rosemont Elementary within Orange County Public Schools. The school was one of the first to partner with Second Harvest to provide free food.
“At first, students were a little bit iffy about getting the food. They believed that there was a stigma attached to the food,” Diaz said. "But now, kids just ask us, ‘Hey, can I get a bag’.”
Diaz said providing food at the school has changed the whole environment and is contributing to the school’s overall mission to care for the whole student.
“Our parents work hard. It's not from a lack of trying. It's because of circumstances. Sometimes we need a little bit more. So it's so important for our students to be able to get that from people that they love and they trust and that they know have their best interest in mind,” Diaz said.
Volusia County is the latest district in Central Florida to open up a food pantry on site with Second Harvest.
Second Harvest is a financial sponsor of Central Florida Public Media but does not influence our independent journalism.
