Florida Hospital employees donate thousands of pounds of food to local food banks

Central Floridians turn to charitable feeding programs more than 3.6 million times annually — or roughly 71,000 times a week.

Florida Hospital employees are helping stock the shelves at Central Florida food banks by donating canned goods, as well as non-perishable foods and money, as part of the organization’s annual food drive.

About 498,000 Central Florida residents find that they cannot afford enough food each year, which includes 193,000 vulnerable children, according to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. Often, residents make critical choices between feeding their families, or paying their electric bill, rent and health care expenses.

On Friday, thousands of canned and boxed foods were collected, loaded into trucks and delivered to local food banks such as the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. Second Harvest collects, stores and distributes donated food to more than 550 feeding partners in Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Volusia, Lake and Brevard counties.

“Our mission at Florida Hospital is to extend the healing ministry of Christ, which reaches beyond the walls of our hospitals,” said Deb Spielman, Chief Operating Officer of Florida Hospital for Children. “Our employees are passionate about giving back and supporting those in need, and food and nutrition is critical to the health and well-being of every individual. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve our community outside the walls of our facilities through this initiative each year.”

Employees from all Florida Hospitals in Central Florida, dozens of Centra Cares and other facilities donated and collected the food during the previous two weeks.

Last year’s drive netted more than 11,000 pounds of food and $6,000 in donations.