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This is the Network: Second Harvest of the Big Bend

From expanding its warehouse capacity to bringing fresh food directly to rural communities, Second Harvest of the Big Bend continues to find new ways to serve neighbors. As part of Feeding Florida’s statewide network, Second Harvest plays an important role in strengthening communities across a large North Florida region.

The Tallahassee-based food bank serves a 16-county region, connecting communities with nutritious food through local partnerships, innovative programs, and the dedication of people who believe everyone deserves access to food.  This month, we took a closer look at the people, programs, and partnerships helping the organization meet the needs of its neighbors.

Growing to Meet the Needs of the Big Bend

Second Harvest of the Big Bend recently celebrated the opening of its new Impact Center, a 28,000-square-foot facility designed to strengthen its ability to fight hunger and serve communities throughout the region.

The new center includes expanded volunteer space, a community and training center, and upgraded administrative offices. These improvements also allowed the food bank to double its warehouse space, increasing its capacity to source, store, and distribute nutritious food.

Serving 16 counties, most of which are rural, requires a strong distribution network and the ability to respond as community needs change. The Impact Center gives Second Harvest of the Big Bend more room to grow while strengthening the infrastructure that helps food reach neighbors across its service area.

The grand opening brought together elected officials, community leaders, donors, partners, and supporters to celebrate the milestone and recognize the many people whose generosity and commitment helped make it possible.

Bringing Food Directly to Neighbors

For rural communities, accessing nutritious food can be challenging. Long distances, limited transportation, and a lack of nearby grocery stores can make it difficult for families to get the food they need. Second Harvest of the Big Bend’s Mobile Market Trailer helps bridge that gap by bringing food directly to the communities it serves.

Known as a “food pantry on wheels,” the Mobile Market offers fresh fruits and vegetables, pantry staples, and frozen proteins. Neighbors can choose the foods that best fit their household’s needs, creating a more personal and dignified food shopping experience.

The Mobile Market is also an important resource during disasters. As communities across the Florida Panhandle recover from storms, Second Harvest of the Big Bend has continued adapting its operations to meet changing needs. The trailer can be deployed to help neighbors access essential food when normal routines and resources are disrupted.

This flexibility reflects the food bank’s commitment to meeting people where they are, whether that means reaching a rural community with limited grocery access or helping families get back on their feet after a disaster.

The People Behind the Mission

Behind every food distribution are people who give their time, energy, and compassion to help their neighbors. For Second Harvest of the Big Bend, longtime volunteer Olivia is one of those people.

A former educator, Olivia has dedicated more than 750 hours to helping fight hunger in her community. Her passion for making sure children have the nutrition they need to learn first inspired her to get involved.

“One of my passions is making sure children are fed before they go to school,” Olivia shared. “If they’re not fed, they cannot learn.”

After attending a Second Harvest Lunch and Learn in 2018, Olivia found a meaningful way to put that belief into action. Today, she helps with food distributions and has built lasting friendships with fellow volunteers along the way.

Her experiences have also given her a deeper understanding of food insecurity and how it can affect anyone in a community.

“You do not realize what the face of hunger looks like; it could be anyone at any time.”

For Olivia, volunteering is about more than distributing food. It is about helping make sure her community has what it needs while connecting with others who share that same purpose.

“This is an amazing organization full of passionate people. It’s a great place to build friendships and feel like part of a family.”

Olivia’s story is a reminder that strong communities are built by people who show up for one another. Through volunteers like Olivia, Second Harvest of the Big Bend continues to turn a shared commitment to fighting hunger into meaningful action.

Making an Impact Across the Big Bend

Second Harvest of the Big Bend serves as a central source of charitable food for its region, working with more than 120 frontline agency partners, including food pantries, homeless shelters, schools, churches, and community centers. Together, this network helps food reach neighbors throughout the food bank’s rural and urban communities.

In 2025, Second Harvest of the Big Bend distributed more than 18.9 million pounds of nutritious food at no cost to neighbors facing hunger. That is the equivalent of approximately 15.7 million meals across the region. More than 8.4 million pounds of fresh produce were also distributed, helping bring fruits and vegetables to families throughout the Big Bend.

These numbers represent more than food moving through a warehouse. They reflect the work of farmers, donors, volunteers, agency partners, and community members coming together to support their neighbors.

Get Involved

There are many ways to support Second Harvest of the Big Bend and help strengthen its impact across North Florida. Whether you’re looking for food assistance, interested in volunteering, or want to help provide meals for neighbors in need, every connection makes a difference.

Visit Second Harvest of the Big Bend to find food assistance, volunteer, donate, or learn more about its work throughout the Big Bend.

www.fightinghunger.org

Together, we can help make sure our neighbors have access to the food they need to thrive.

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