
The Second Harvest of Big Bend’s annual event typically takes place in Leon County. This year, they’ve added additional counties: Jefferson, Madison, Taylor, and Suwannee. The Second Harvest food pantry hosts this distribution event to relieve the burden on any families who may have a tight budget or may not be able to afford these meals.
“The main objective behind this distribution is to ensure that everyone within our community has food and meals for Thanksgiving. We will distribute boxes of Thanksgiving fixings like Mac n cheese and greens, fresh produce, and a whole frozen turkey. This year, we have expanded our distributions due to the number of natural disasters we have seen in our area,” said Second Harvest employee Libby Simmions.
This year, the Second Harvest intends to serve 1200 families in Leon County, 1000 in Suwannee, and 500 in Madison and Jefferson. On Thursday, they hosted a drive at two locations, Ponce de Leon Park and Bannerman Crossing, from 6 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. to collect donations of frozen turkeys. Their goal is to receive 3000 turkeys. Several volunteers helped to make this distribution successful.
“I think getting out of the house and volunteering is important if you have the time. Volunteering makes me feel good because I get out there and contribute my time to help others. Thanksgiving is a special holiday for families to come together and spend time with their loved ones, so the fact that I can help prepare items to distribute to families who are less fortunate is important to me,” said Beverly, a volunteer for the Second Harvest of Big Bend.
The Second Harvest hosts different events and has other volunteer opportunities to help year-round. They are a non-profit food bank with various feeding programs to collect and distribute food to charities. Some of their programs include senior nutrition, child nutrition, disaster relief, mobile pantries, and more. Their vision is to see a hunger-free Florida, Big Bend.
“Volunteering at an event like this is very fulfilling, knowing I’m giving back to my community. As a retired teacher, I enjoy volunteering and helping many families in need. I volunteer with various organizations to help prepare meals for families. I am very grateful to have the opportunity to do this,” said Elizabeth, a volunteer for the Second Harvest of Big Bend.
The Second Harvest of Big Bend hopes to continue this annual distribution with hopes that it will continue to grow in the years to come.