ORLANDO, Fla. – As the largest emergency food provider in Central Florida, Second Harvest Food Bank distributes enough food to provide 300,000 meals daily across seven counties. However, the organization says they’re facing a significant challenge due to a funding freeze from the Trump Administration on the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC).
Second Harvest says this freeze has halted all CCC-funded orders for the USDA’s Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), resulting in the suspension of 28 tractor-trailer loads of food meant for the Central Florida food bank.
This amounts to 1,092,000 pounds of food, equivalent to approximately 910,000 meals. If this funding freeze becomes permanent, Central Florida could lose about 5.8 million meals next year.
Greg Hickerson, chief development officer at Second Harvest, expressed the urgency of the situation. “This morning, we were notified that a lot of the food that we were expecting in the near future is not going to be coming because of a funding freeze at the federal level,” he said. “We’re in kind of a crisis mode.”
“We have sources of food that we rely on, and one of the most important is the USDA commodities that come our way,” Hickerson explained. “This is food that is sourced from U.S. farmers and growers, and they are also not going to be benefiting from this as well.”
The food that Second Harvest provides is crucial for many in the community.
“Every one of those cans, every one of those boxes ends up on the table in front of somebody who can’t afford enough food for themselves and their families,” Hickerson noted. “We’re going to need help filling that gap of need.”
Second Harvest distributes food to over 800 partner programs in Central Florida, including emergency food pantries, shelters, and soup kitchens. More than half a million neighbors in Central Florida need food assistance each year, and the loss of nearly 1 million pounds of food is a dire situation for those facing hunger.
“Our neighbors that are facing hunger are really diverse,” Hickerson said. “Many are working families who are struggling to make ends meet. With record grocery prices and rising rent costs, more than ever before, they’re having to turn to charitable programs for food.”
The organization is calling on the community to help fill the gap left by the funding freeze. “The only way that we can think of this morning is for people to step up and help us raise the money to buy that additional food that was coming from the government commodities program,” Hickerson stated.
Second Harvest is hopeful that the funding freeze will not last long, but uncertainty remains. “There is no information at all about whether it will continue or be reinstated at some point,” Hickerson explained.
As the community rallies together, the need for support has never been more critical. “There are many people out there who are struggling,” Hickerson said. “About half a million of our neighbors find it necessary to seek assistance with food. We need more food at this point to replace what is not coming.”
Hickerson also emphasized the strength of the Central Florida community, stating, “There are a lot of people who care about their neighbors here in Central Florida. Every time we’ve had a crisis, whether it be a storm or disaster relief, people step up and they help.”
Anyone interested can find ways to help through food or monetary donations or by volunteering on the Second Harvest Food Bank website.