ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Hundreds of boxes were packed with food and rolled out to help feed kids in Central Florida.
Friday’s packing and distribution event is part of Orange County’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. pre-day of service event with Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. Mayor Jerry Demings was lending a hand.
“Dr. King was all about service to man kind so this is what this initiative is doing,” said Demings.
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Members of Orange County’s MLK Initiative board was also volunteered during the event. Demings says the county is pushing for more diversity and inclusion when it comes to decision-making.
“I get to serve with the board to make decisions that embrace diversity that we share in the community, and it’s a humbling experience to live here and see where we are today. We aren’t perfect, but we strive for perfection,” said Demings.
As part of the program, each child receives two boxes; a breakfast box and a lunch box. Each box has meals for seven days.
Volunteers packed 35,000 meals that will be distributed throughout Central Florida to kids who are getting assistance through the Head Start program. Providing families with essentials some people take for granted... a simple meal.
With masks and gloves on, Johanna Marquez volunteered to pack boxes for the first time.
“It feels amazing to give back,” said Marquez.
Giving back to the same program, she says, helped feed her as a child.
“I grew up in a single-parent home so it was very helpful for my mother. As I grew up, I realized how important the program is,” said Marquez.
With CARES ACT funding, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida has been able to expand its outreach and increase production to help families in need.