The Health and Hunger Task Force met in February and discussed key updates and upcoming initiatives. A guest speaker from the Department of Children and Families (DCF) presented insights on the Healthy SNAP Initiative, which will launch in Florida on Monday, April 20th, 2026. The meeting also provided a look ahead at HHTF’s priorities and […]
HHTF Meeting: February 2026 Read More »
The Common Metrics Working Group is excited to launch Phase 2 of our HHTF data strategy – a systems survey designed to help us collectively understand the system-level shifts that are shaping our HHTF priority areas. This will be the first of an annual survey that will build our baseline understanding of system changes affecting
HHTF Systems Survey 2026 Read More »
The Health and Hunger Task Force met in December for a productive end-of-year meeting focused on advancing the Common Metrics Initiative. The discussion included updates to population-level indicators, the introduction of a new mental wellness metric, and an overview of Phase 2 system-level indicators, with members providing input through breakout discussions. The meeting also featured
HHTF Meeting: December 2025 Read More »
Credit: Florida Department of Health in Orange County A Ray of Sunshine Food PantryCelebrating Two Years of Nourishing Our Community In September 2025, the Florida Department of Health in Orange County proudly celebrated the 2nd Anniversary of the Ray of Sunshine Food Pantry, a vital community resource dedicated to improving food security and overall well-being. This milestone event
A Ray of Sunshine Food Pantry Celebrates 2 Years! Read More »
The Health and Hunger Task Force met for an engaging meeting in October. The meeting included discussion on next steps for the Common Metrics Initiative, an in depth overview of homelessness in Central Florida and its connection with our work, as well as an update on the status of the government shutdown. To see all
HHTF Meeting: October 2025 Read More »
By: Derrick Chubbs, MPA, President & CEO at Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida This article was published in the Orlando Sentinel on August 30th. Original article can be found here. Forty-two thousand volunteers. 127,000 hours of community service. Tens of millions of meals. Often, the conversation about food insecurity is couched in grim
Commentary: Hunger relief and the everyday heroes who make it happen Read More »
By: Claire White, MS, CHES Health Promotion Coordinator The first 5 years are crucial to a child’s development. During this time, there are many milestones for their gross and fine motor, communication, social, cognitive, and adaptive skills. However, these skills may be delayed or hindered depending on the child’s access to nutritious foods, which can
Resource: Connecting Families to WIC: A Practical Toolkit for Health Care Providers Read More »
By: Claire White, Health Promotion Coordinator Florida heat is no joke. In fact, since 2018, there have been over 31,000 heat-related emergency room visits (Sela & Tsoukalas, 2024), and hydrating is even more essential during the summer months. One way to keep yourself hydrated and healthy this summer is to fuel your body with seasonal
Staying Hydrated and Healthy with the SHFB Mobile Farmer’s Market Read More »
By: Claire White, MS, CHES – Health Promotion Coordinator When you envision yourself adopting a healthy lifestyle, do you picture yourself eating fruits and vegetables? Going for a walk? Or even just making it through a cold season without getting the flu? Or do you imagine yourself meditating and connecting with others? Oftentimes, when reflecting
Community Partner: Mental Health Association of Central Florida Read More »
By: Claire White, MS, CHES, Health Promotion Coordinator Summertime should be filled with children playing with friends, going to camp, and sleeping in. Having a break from school should be a relaxing time kids look forward to. Unfortunately, this is not the case for all children. For some, time away from school means time away
Connecting Children to Food this Summer Read More »
