Food for Thought —and Hope

SMACNA and SMART contributed generously to this year’s conference charity, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida

By / Jessica Kirby

Each Partners in Progress Conference engages a charity organization in the host community and runs a fundraising project to benefit this group. This year, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida was an obvious choice.

“When we went about looking for a conference charity, I met with various leaders across Florida who all identified Second Harvest as an innovative leader in providing services to families in need,” says Paul Pimentel, director of communications for SMART International. “The group represents the efficiency and effectiveness our partnership represents, making them a natural fit for a sponsored charity.”

A growing number of people in Central Florida are one medical problem, one car accident, or one unexpected expense away from facing hunger. Every day, these individuals and families are faced with making tough choices between food and needs.

Second Harvest, which runs out of Orlando, is on a mission to create hope and nourish lives through a powerful hunger relief network, while multiplying the generosity of a caring community. It operates to close the gap of unmet need in Central Florida in several effective ways.

“Access to healthy food is crucial and essential,” Second Harvest says. “Thanks to donor support, more than 300,000 meals are being provided every day to Brevard, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia counties.”

Students come to Midway Safe Harbor, one of Second Harvest’s Kids Cafe sites, to participate in an after-school program for tutoring, recreation, and food. Over snacks and warm suppers, kids build relationships and expand their horizons.

“When students have a balanced, nutritious meal, they’re not hungry and they’re ready to learn,” says Quinn Byrd, director at Midway Safe Harbor.

Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low-sodium foods are costly, especially on a limited budget. Rosa, a senior living in Seminole County, visits one of Second Harvest’s local food pantries to stock her pantry and refrigerator. She is able to afford a variety of healthy food thanks to Second Harvest’s help accessing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, formerly known as food stamps.

“I’m diabetic and use SNAP to buy the things that are good for my health,” she says. “If I spend all the money on vegetables, there’s nothing left. I’m very grateful for all the support I get from Second Harvest.”

Through an online donation drive and an in-person cookie sale at the conference, SMACNA and SMART members raised $20,941 for Second Harvest Food Bank.

“Our basis for a charity is someone who has a direct impact on the people where we hold the event,” says Joye Blanchette, SMACNA’s executive director of operations. “Second Harvest met this in spades. Not only do they have a food bank with a delivery service for those who are home bound, but also they have job skills training through their culinary school—where we got the cookies—which puts disadvantaged individuals to work.”

Second Harvest also runs kids’ programs, the Mercy Kitchen— an expanded production kitchen and storage facility—culinary training, and nutrition education and resources.

“Lastly, we took note of the fact they also had a disaster relief program in place, which is a huge benefit to the central Florida community,” Blanchett says. “Overall, we thought they were a strong community non-profit that uses their resources well.”

In 2023, with the help of numerous donors, volunteers, and a caring, committed community, the food bank distributed enough food for 81 million meals to partner programs, such as food pantries, soup kitchens, women’s shelters, senior centers, day care centers, and Kids Cafes.

“Your trust and generosity make our relief efforts possible,” Second Harvest says. “But the work is far from complete. Thousands of families, kids, and seniors experience hunger, with all signs pointing towards needs continuing to increase. Thank you for trusting us with this important work and joining us in the fight against hunger.”

SMACNA and SMART would like to thank their members for their generous donations to this worth cause. To learn more about Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, visit feedhopenow.org ▪

Jessica Kirby is editor-publisher for Point One Media, a small but sturdy family owned trade magazine creator representing some of North America’s most successful construction associations.