{"id":309283,"date":"2026-06-16T15:24:07","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T15:24:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/309283\/"},"modified":"2026-06-16T15:24:07","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T15:24:07","slug":"second-harvest-food-bank-and-mercy-kitchen-supplies-summer-meals-for-children-in-need","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/309283\/","title":{"rendered":"Second Harvest Food Bank and Mercy Kitchen supplies summer meals for children in need"},"content":{"rendered":"

Second Harvest Food Bank\u00a0of Central Florida<\/a>\u00a0is providing\u00a0meals\u00a0over the summer\u00a0to students\u00a0facing food insecurity\u00a0through their Summer Food Service Program.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

According to\u00a0Second Harvest, over 487,000 children rely on free or reduced-price meals during the school year.<\/a> Nancy Brumbaugh, chief food service officer at Second Harvest Food Bank, said while their budget has a deficit in the summer, it is important to get meals to the children in need.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do operate at a deficit that we do have to make sure we cover,\u201d Brumbaugh said. \u201cBut\u00a0the kids we serve are the kids that need it the most.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Volunteers Elizabeth Brydson (left) and Dorothy Dubuisson (right) scoop fruit into cups at Second Harvest Food Bank\u2019s Mercy Kitchen on Friday, May 29,\u00a0to help prepare meals for families facing food insecurity during the summer. (JOSHUA-PAUL ESTABALAYA)<\/p>\n

The Second Harvest\u2019s Summer Food Service Program\u00a0covers\u00a0five\u00a0counties\u00a0with\u00a060 distribution sites<\/a>, which can be found at\u00a0SummerBreakSpot.org.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have some routes that are\u00a0158\u00a0miles round trip,\u201d Brumbaugh said. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot, and gas prices are up, and so our cost[s] are rising.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Second Harvest relies on volunteers and donations. Both options are available on their website, FeedHopeNow.org. Mercy Kitchen is a sponsor of the nonprofit summer food program, Brumbaugh said.\n<\/p>\n

Mercy Kitchen was started in 2021 by Second Harvest Food Bank due to the heightened need for meals during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Second Harvest<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout volunteers, it would be a very hard day at Mercy Kitchen,\u201d Brumbaugh said. \u201cWe wouldn\u2019t be able to provide that high-quality food.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Volunteers pack food in an assembly line at Second Harvest Food Bank\u2019s Mercy Kitchen on Friday, May 29, to help prepare meals for families facing food insecurity during the summer. (JOSHUA-PAUL ESTABALAYA)<\/p>\n

While donated food goes directly to the pantries, the Mercy Kitchen focuses on making fresh meals for the children and provides options for those with allergies or dietary restraints, Brumbaugh said.\n<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Volunteer Elizabeth Brydson arranges fruit cups on a tray at Second Harvest Food Bank\u2019s Mercy Kitchen on Friday, May 29, to help prepare meals for families facing food insecurity during the summer.
(JOSHUA-PAUL ESTABALAYA)<\/p>\n

Mercy Kitchen runs routes to many rural areas without proper grocery stores, called \u201cfood deserts,\u201d Brumbaugh said. She added that when grocery stores pull out of a community, residents don\u2019t have a reliable source of fresh produce and begin to rely heavily on \u201cultra-processed\u201d foods.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is what I am destined to do,\u201d Brumbaugh said. \u201cMake sure kids have access to food.\u201d
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