ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida is continuing to get results for our friends and neighbors.
The organization holds food giveaways several times a year, but the upcoming U.S. Farm Bill expiration may jeopardize their efforts to help people experiencing food insecurity.
Volunteers with Second Harvest and the Islamic Society of Central Florida spent their Saturday morning giving back to their community.
“These volunteers out here — we’re in the middle of Ramadan right now,” said state Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-District 10. “These volunteers are out here, we’re about to put in a lot of sweat and a lot of work. No eating, no water, because they’re fasting. It just shows the will we have in this community and we’re lucky.”
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Second Harvest of Central Florida President and CEO Derrick Chubbs said with inflation and the rising cost of housing, more people need their help.
“With the average American, 70% living paycheck to paycheck, anything that happens that’s a little different — a pandemic, a disaster, a fire, a flat tire — could literally throw them behind and put them in a position where we’re trying to do what we can do to bridge that gap,” Chubbs said.
Alejandro Hoyas was in line on Saturday. Between losing his job and a cancer diagnosis, his bills are adding up.
“You look at your light bill and it’s $300, what’s going on here?” Hoyas said. “So everything’s gone up. Gas, light bills, you know, utility, everything. So it’s hard. Yeah, it’s hard for everyone you know? And it’s not getting easier.”
But Second Harvest is facing its own challenges. The U.S. Farm Bill is set to expire this September. Through the bill, Second Harvest is able to get food through the Emergency Food Assistance Program, also known as TEFAP.
Chubbs said even though they’re still getting around 19 to 20 million pounds of food from TEFAP, it’s down about 20 percent.
“We have to bridge that gap and that puts a strain on us,” Chubbs said. “That’s actually, frankly, a strain that isn’t sustainable for us over an extended period of time. So we definitely are going to need the Farm Bill.”
Chubbs said if he can get more food, he can make sure it gets in the hands of those who need it.
“I can distribute as much food as they give me,” Chubbs said. “We need more.”
Frost also told News 6 the Farm Bill has already been written. He said there is not much else left to do besides get it to the floor for a vote.
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