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Community Health

Community HealthThe Food Bank's Role in Community Health

Second Harvest Food Bank recognizes that it has a central role to play in the health and wellness of the Central Florida community. With nearly epidemic rates of chronic disease and sky rocketing healthcare costs, access to healthy food is a critical factor in addressing these issues.

By taking a collaborative approach, Second Harvest is working to increase access to nutritious foods, establish partnerships with healthcare practitioners, and provide nutrition education classes to help improve health and well-being throughout Central Florida.

Access to Nutritious Foods

Second Harvest is committed to ensuring the food available to our neighbors is nutritious by working with local farmers, vendors, retail partners and food donors to provide the community with fresh produce and nutrient-dense foods. Second Harvest is positively impacting health and nutrition by prioritizing access and building the capacity of local feeding partners to store and distribute nutritious foods.

Healthcare Partnerships

Second Harvest connects with practitioners across Central Florida, including hospital systems, free and charitable clinics, federally funded health centers, and local medical practices to encourage food insecurity screening and intervention. Working together to provide screening and referral to Second Harvest local feeding partners ensures that patients experiencing food insecurity and who need support to improve food-related chronic illnesses are connected to a local feeding partner.

Since 2016, Second Harvest has been convening the Health & Hunger Task Force of Central Florida, a coalition of local healthcare providers and nutrition-focused organizations that identify opportunities to measurably impact health by using food as medicine.

Nutrition Education

Nutrition education helps neighbors learn how food impacts health. Nutrition educators lead engaging workshops and cooking demonstrations across Central Florida to inspire neighbors to make small changes that can positively impact their health. Learn more.

For more information, please contact:

Maureen Hawkins
Health and Hunger Programs Director
Phone: 407-514-1070
Email: mhawkins@feedhopenow.org

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Contact Us 411 Mercy Drive, Orlando, Fl 32805Ph: 407-295-1066 | F: 407-295-5299 Visit our other sites: Feed Hope Now Blog Partner Agencies gogreenback with Second Harvest Food Bank