Feeding South Florida

Feeding South Florida (formerly Daily Bread Food Bank) is encouraging residents to join the fight against hunger during Hunger Action Month, Feeding America’s national movement to raise awareness and take action to help the 50 million Americans who experience hunger.

Throughout the month, Feeding America’s nationwide network of more than 200 food banks, including Feeding South Florida, is working to engage citizens to take action and help spread the word about how pervasive hunger is in every community.

Just one way Feeding South Florida is participating in Hunger Action Month is by working with all four counties it services – Broward (City of Hallandale Beach), Miami-Dade (City of North Bay Village), Palm Beach (City of Riviera Beach), and Monroe (City of Marathon) – as well as the State of Florida, to secure proclamations declaring September as Hunger Action Month. Also, Feeding South Florida has scheduled corporate groups from organizations including Bloomingdale’s, HSBC Bank, PricewaterhouseCoopers, United Healthcare, PepsiCo, and Barry University to volunteer at its facilities during September.

Feeding South Florida’s “30 Ways in 30 Days” campaign, a fully customized local calendar at www.feedingsouthflorida.org, provides individuals with exciting ways to participate in community efforts to fight hunger throughout September, as well as many additional suggestions for getting involved. Additionally, Feeding South Florida is helping Feeding America spread the word at www.hungeractionmonth.org with its celebrity partners via a video campaign, which tells real stories of Americans struggling with hunger. Individuals can share the video on Facebook and/or Twitter.

Nationwide, 50 million Americans suffer from food insecurity. However, hunger’s impact is felt by many more than the millions living with food insecurity: it impacts child development, health and wellness, education, workforce development – our general welfare as a nation. It is also an issue right here in our community – and at the local level, Feeding South Florida works to combat hunger and aid the hungry living in South Florida.

According to Feeding South Florida’s records, over 936,000 individuals in South Florida experience food insecurity; 318,378 of those are children. The food insecurity rate in South Florida is 16.8 percent. Recently, Feeding South Florida’s agencies are reporting a 39 percent increase in the demand for food services, due to the current economic climate.

“Whether it’s through advocating and raising awareness, making donations, or volunteering, there are many ways that individuals can find the right way for them to make a difference,” said Judith Gatti, executive director of Feeding South Florida. “Through our efforts during Hunger Action Month, we hope to enable many South Florida residents to learn about opportunities to get involved in the fight against hunger.”