ORLANDO, Fla. – A government shutdown could impact people in our community who may need a helping hand when it comes to getting food on the table.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida helps people every day and they rely on federal money to provide meals to food pantries. Second Harvest Food Bank Chief Development Officer Greg Higgerson remembers how hard it was during the 2019 government shutdown.
He says they usually distribute food through partnership organizations, but in times of an emergency, like a government shutdown, they go straight to the people who need help.
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Higgerson told News 6 reporter Laverne McGee, “I remember carrying a big bag of groceries to a car for a woman who was just getting off her shift at the airport, a TSA worker, and when we got in the car she cried and hugged me and said I have a son at home, we would not be eating except for this tonight.”
He says they usually distribute food through partnership organizations, but in times of an emergency, like a government shutdown, they go straight to the people who need help.
About 500,000 Central Floridians need food assistance according to their data.
Also, one in eight Central Floridians is at risk of going to bed hungry on any given night and one in six children in Central Florida is at risk of experiencing hunger.
Some of the food they provide comes from federal assistance.
“About 20-25 percent of food that we distribute at Second Harvest comes from what we call USDSA commodities, or government food, and if the USDA is furloughed, then who knows what could happen so we could be systemically affected by it which then trickles down to our neighbors who are relying on that support,” said Higgerson.
Higgerson said the easiest way to help is to make an online donation.
“Make a financial gift that we can turn into four times as much food value or sign up to volunteer and come down and help that way,” he said.
If you or someone you know is struggling with food insecurity, you can also use Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida’s Food Locator by clicking here.
Check out the Florida Foodie podcast. You can find every episode in the media player below:
