This Food Waste Prevention Week, take a closer look at the ways the Feeding Florida network works to eliminate food waste and increase impact on hungry Floridians across all 67 counties.

Feeding Florida’s produce recovery initiative works in partnership with growers & packers throughout the state to rescue and distribute wholesome and cosmetically blemished produce that can help to ease this burden.

During National Nutrition Month this March, we change focus to show how Feeding Florida’s food banks provide more than food and meal boxes. Our food banks provide life-changing resources that promote overall health and wellbeing. They offer unique programs so all our families have the tools needed to make healthy lifestyle choices.

Florida lawmakers are on the cusp of helping Floridians in need while also taking action to help our state’s local farmers. By making a strategic investment in Feeding Florida — the state’s largest network of food banks — we not only ensure that Floridians in need will continue to receive high-quality fresh-from-Florida food, but that our state remains a leading producer of local fruits and vegetables. If ever an investment was a win-win-win, this is it.

Take a moment to stop and think of all the reasons a family might not have consistent access to food. It’s a wide range of factors, such as insufficient household income, needing to spend money of bills, healthcare expenses, an unstable economy, urban versus rural communities, and lack of transportation.

As we kick off 2022, we want to highlight 22 different ways we help to feed Florida- shortening the line and alleviating hunger throughout Florida.

Simply Health Plans and Feeding South Florida hosted an event with volunteer support from Florida Senator Ileana Garcia, where local families shopped at Feeding South Florida’s Mobile Farmacy for convenient and healthy foods to feed their families. The event was made possible by a partnership between Simply and Feeding Florida to improve health outcomes for at-risk populations in vulnerable areas of Florida that are underserved and food insecure. Feeding South Florida is one of three Feeding Florida food banks partnering with Simply for this effort.

Whether you’re strolling down the aisles in the grocery store or enjoying a meal at a restaurant, you may notice the price of your favorite food has increased. There are many factors contributing to this food price inflation, like labor shortages, supply chain distributions, and even food hoarding as a result of the pandemic. Labor shortages are possibly the number one cause of the inflation, because food manufactures don’t have enough employees to keep up with the growing demand, from floor workers to truck drivers.

Simply Healthcare Plans and Feeding Florida announced the launch of a partnership to increase food access across high-risk Florida communities by leveraging extensive research to target areas of greatest need. Simply donated $100,000 to Feeding Florida, the only statewide food bank network, serving all 67 counties every day of the year. The funds are allocated to three of the network’s food bank-led “Food is Medicine” programs, with a focus on several of Florida’s Medicaid regions, including Bay County, Polk County and Miami-Dade County. Simply will work closely with three of Feeding Florida’s food banks – Feeding South Florida, Feeding Tampa Bay and Feeding the Gulf Coast.

The winter holidays bring about a season of gratefulness and we at Feeding Florida appreciate every individual who helps us put food on the tables of Floridians year-round. From fundraising and communications to warehouse operations and trucking, every department of the food bank makes a big difference. Meet some of our hunger heroes and learn about how their position helps their food bank and the whole network fight hunger.