Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida receives donation from Bank of America

Bank of America recently awarded a large donation to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida to address food insecurity in the region. 

The $45,000 donation is worth 180,000 meals to the food bank and those it serves. 

As the pandemic continues, hunger relief organizations in Orlando and across the country are facing ongoing challenges such as increased demand for their services and rising food prices.

President for Bank of America Central Florida Steven Alch said as the pandemic continues to impact Orlando, food banks and hunger relief organizations are experiencing increased demand and higher costs to meet the need of individuals and families. 

“Our commitment to help strengthen the communities we live in and serve is unwavering, which is why we are investing in the health, safety and wellbeing of our teammates while also providing funds to help local organizations support our neighbors and fight food insecurity," he said. 

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Bank of America has provided more than $353,000 in funding to Second Harvest in support of local hunger relief efforts.  

According to a Feeding America projection, 13.8%, one in seven people and 20.1%, one in five children, lived in households that were potentially food insecure in 2021 in Central Florida. 

Second Harvest said it is continuing to distribute enough food for 250,000 meals each day through its network of 550 community feeding partners

“Ongoing financial support from corporate advocates – like Bank of America – continue feeding hope to our neighbors experiencing food insecurity,” said Derrick Chubbs, president and CEO at Second Harvest Food Bank. “The pandemic’s economic impact on Central Florida hit deep, and the need for emergency food assistance remains elevated. We’re extremely grateful for every contribution.”

Nationally, the bank has committed $10.6 million dollars to food banks and hunger relief organizations through this effort. Since 2015, Bank of America has donated nearly $150 million toward hunger relief efforts.