1 million meals raised during WESH 2 Day of Giving campaign benefiting Second Harvest
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Updated: 9:15 AM EDT May 27, 2021
1 million meals raised during WESH 2 Day of Giving campaign benefiting Second Harvest
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Updated: 9:15 AM EDT May 27, 2021
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>> THIS IS MY HAPPY PLACE. AND IT’S MAKING SUCH A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNIT JASON: WELCOME TO MERCY KITCHEN. IT’S THE NEWEST WEAPON IN SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK’S CAMPAIGN TO END HUNGER IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. MERCY KITCHEN IS THE PRODUCT OF THE PANDEMIC. WHEN HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE LOST JOBS OR TOOK A HIT TO THEIR INCOME, THEY TURNED TO SECOND HARVEST AND ITS ARRAY OF OPTIONS TO KEEP FOOD ON THE TABLE. LAST YEAR, SECOND HARVEST DEVELOPED SEVERAL NEW PANDEMIC RELIEF PROGRAMS, BRING HOPE HOME DELIVERING FOOD TO HOMEBOUND INDIVIDUALS AND SENIORS, 7 DAY MEAL BOXES PROVIDING A WEEK’S WORTH OF BREAKFAST OR LUNCH TO INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILY MEAL BOXES. >> IT’S A FAMILY MEAL FOR FO FOR FIVE DAYS. SO THEY HAVE FIVE DAYS WORTH OF MEALS AND EVERYTHING GOES INSIDE THAT THEY’RE GOING TO NEED AND THEY JUST POP THEM RIGHT INTO THE OVEN. WE HAVE A RECIPE AND A GUIDE FOR THEM TO FOLLOW WHEN THEY POP EVERYTHING RIGHT INTO THE OVEN AND HAVE A MEAL READY FOR THEM TO GO. SHELDON: THOSE FAMILY MEALS ARE ASSEMBLED IN MERCY KITCHEN BY TEAMS OF VOLUNTEERS. AN ASSEMBLY LINE FILLS PAN AFTER PAN WITH HEALTHY MEALS THAT ONLY REQUIRE SOME RE-HEATIN MEALS SPECIFICALLY FOR KIDS WHO ATTEND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS ARE ALSO ASSEMBLED HERE AT MERCY KITCHEN. LASAGNA IS A FAVORITE, SO ARE TURKEY TACOS. >> CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHERE WE GO. JASON: DEAUNDRA RODRIGUEZ HELPS OVERSEE THE PROGRAMMING. IT’S AMAZING. THIS BUILDING HAS DONE AMAZING THINGS FOR US, WE ARE REACHING OUT TO MORE PEOPLE, WE’RE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO MORE PEOPLE NOW THAN WE WERE BEFORE. I LOVE MY JOB. I LOVE BEING HERE. AND I LOVE WHAT I DO. HELPING THE COMMUNITY. JASON: EACH DAY MERCY KITCHEN PRODUCES 23,000 MEALS, WHICH ARE DISTRIBUTED ALL ACROSS CENTRAL FLORID >> WE ARE MET WITH TEARS FROM FAMILIES THAT NOW CAN PAY THEIR ELECTRIC BILL BECAUSE THEY HAVE FOOD. JASON: DESIGNED AS A PLACE TO HELP THE COMMUNITY, MERCY KITCHEN IS ALSO COMMUNITY POWERED. VOLUNTEERS MAKE UP THE BULK OF PEOPLE PACKING THESE MEALS EACH DAY. >> AND WHEN YOU SEE THE NEED, AND HOW DAY AFTER DAY, WE’RE STILL PACKING THOUSANDS OF BOXES, IT REALLY PUTS IT IN PERSPECTIVE AS TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY REALLY NEEDS. JASON: SUSAN KEOGH SPENDS A FEW DAYS A WEEK VOLUNTEERING IN THE WAREHOUSE SIDE OF MERCY KITCHEN, PACKING THOSE NON-PERISHABLE 7-DAY BOXES. >> SECOND HARVEST IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE COMMUNITY. AND WE ARE DEPENDENT ON EVERYONE ELSE UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE DO HERE. AS A RESULT, PEOPLE REALLY KNOWING, THAT IS WHAT HELPS LOOK UNITY BILL. WE ARE A VERY NECESSARY GROUP. IF EVERYBODY GAVE BACK JUST A LITTLE BIT, THIS WOULD BE PHENOMENAL. SHELDON THEN YOU CAN HELP SUPPORT THE MISSION BY DONATING RIGHT NOW TO WESH 2’S DAY OF GIVING BENEFITTING SECOND HARVEST FOOD BAN THERE ARE THREE WAYS YOU CAN DONATE. YOU CAN CALL OUR PHONE BANK AT 407-514-1099. YOU CAN GO ONLINE TO WESH.COM TO GIVE ON YOUR COMPUTER. OR TAKE OUT YOUR SMART PHONE AND SCAN THE QR CODE ON THE SCREEN NOW. IT WILL TAKE YOU DIRECTLY TO THE DONATION PAGE. WE ARE TRYING TO RAISE $250,000 TODAY, WHICH WILL PROVIDE 1 MILLION MEALS THIS SUMMER FOR STRUGGLING FAMILIES. HERE’S A LOOK AT HOW MUCH WE’ RAISED SO FAR. A LITTLE MORE THAN $5,900. THIS MEMBER IS GOING UP THROUGHOUT THE MORNING