UF/IFAS Extension in Seminole County is hosting a food drive October 17th-October 30th.
Food Insecurity in Seminole County and Beyond:
Food security is often defined as having a sufficient amount of and reliable access to nutritional, culturally appropriate, safe, and sustainable food. Food insecurity is having uncertain or limited availability of foods described above. Unfortunately, it is estimated that 2 billion people globally face moderate to severe food insecurity. Food insecurity can look like worrying about where your next meal will come from, having to opt for lower quality or less nutritious foods, or, in sever situations, having to skip meals or ration food to make it last.
In Seminole County, it is estimated that over 71,000 residents (15.6%) faced food insecurity in 2020. While government programs help to alleviate problems with food insecurity, many folks fall outside of the extremely low-income requirements making them ineligible to receive government assistance. Often these individuals must supplement their food at home with foods from local food banks or food pantries.
What Can You Do?
Seminole County is hosting a food drive to highlight World Food Day which was October 16, 2022 and the upcoming holiday season. The holidays are a particularly tough time for folks as many are deciding what to spend money on-holiday gifts, travel, etc.
You can participate in the food drive by visiting our office at 250 W. County Home Rd, Sanford, FL 32773 and dropping off donations. We will be collecting foods October 17th-30th, 2022 and sending them to The Sharing Center to be made into a Thanksgiving bag. Items can be brought inside during business hours Monday through Friday. Outside of regular business hours, items can be left in the bin right outside our office doors.
Here is a list of specific items we are collecting.
Canned goods:
Corn
Cranberry sauce
Evaporated milk
Green beans
Pie filling
Pumpkin
Yams
Boxes:
Cornbread mix
Mashed potatoes
Stuffing mix
Other:
Coffee (ground or instant)
graham cracker pie crust
Gravy packets (no glass jars)
In addition to these items, we will also be collected $10 grocery store gift cards. If you are planning to bring a gift card, please come during business hours to drop that off.
Finally, many foods listed are considered to be a part of a traditional United States Thanksgiving meal. We are so lucky in central Florida to have folks of many different backgrounds and identities which means your Thanksgiving meal may include other foods not listed. We welcome all donations, even those outside this list.
References:
https://www.fao.org/3/ca9692en/online/ca9692en.html#chapter-1_1
https://www.feedhopenow.org/site/SPageServer/?pagename=about_mapthemeal2020
0
