The hunger picture in Central Florida

Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida is a partner food bank of Feeding America – the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the United States. Second Harvest secures and distributes food and grocery products to more than 750 local nonprofit feeding programs in seven Central Florida counties: Brevard, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia.

With the help of food and financial donors, volunteers and a caring, committed community, the food bank distributes 300,000 meals every day to partner programs such as food pantries, soup kitchens, women's shelters, senior centers, day care centers and Kids Cafes. In addition to helping feed the line of our neighbors who need help, Second Harvest also transforms dozens of lives directly every year. Economically-challenged adults who graduate from our 16-week culinary training program are placed in ‘better than minimum wage’ jobs that set them and their families on a path to self-sustainability.

Feeding America study shows hunger relief costs reach 20-year peak.

Map the Meal Gap is the only study that provides local-level estimates of food insecurity and food costs for every county and congressional district in the U.S. Building upon the USDA's latest national and state data, the study highlights the sharp increase in food insecurity in 2022, driven by historically high food prices and the expiration of pandemic-era programs. Map the Meal Gap emphasizes the urgent need to take action to combat hunger.

The study includes data from 2022, the most recent year available. While food insecurity remained stable or decreased in 2020 and 2021, it surged in 2022 due to rising food prices and the end of COVID-19 assistance programs. The overall food insecurity rate rose to 13.5% in 2022, a 31% increase from 2021. Map the Meal Gap 2024 estimates show higher food insecurity in most counties in 2022 compared to 2021, with an average increase of 29% across all counties.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, part of Feeding America's nationwide network of 200 food banks, uses Map the Meal Gap data to understand local needs better. In our seven-county service area, over 530,000 individuals experience hunger.

View Central Florida food insecurity rates and findings

Click here to print or download "The Hunger Picture in Central Florida" as a pdf file.