Central Florida Lifestyle Lake Nona: December 2020

2020’s Most Inspiring Moments It’s been a tough year, but here we celebrate the positive actions we’ve seen from nonprofits, residents, businesses and local leaders. By Lyndsay Fogarty

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very December, we take a look back at the year’s top moments and reflect on their importance. This year was different though. It’s been heavy. There weren’t many “top moments” to come by. But we shifted our thinking. Who inspired us? What made us feel good? The answer was finding the good in the bad.

Fighting Hunger Locally

Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida has always had a mission to create hope and nourish lives. This year, the nonprofit saw the needs of the community change significantly due to the pandemic. Since mid-March, Second Harvest has provided more than 300,000 meals daily to its six-county service area — roughly double its pre-pandemic distribution numbers. To this point, over 50 million meals have been provided to the Central Florida community. This includes 421 mobile food drops consisting of 11,828,054 meals for local families, 551,538 nutritious meals to over 33,827 individuals unable to travel through the Bring Hope Home program, and more than 770,000 meals for kids through the Summer Food Service Program. Additionally, Second Harvest’s Catering for Good team shifted its focus to assist the production kitchen with preparing, packing and distributing over 2.4 million meals to families and seniors in food deserts.

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Caring for the Homeless

Throughout the pandemic, the Matthew’s Hope team has worked hard to care for Orlando’s homeless population. Every Tuesday and Thursday, the nonprofit’s bus delivers nonperishable food items, hygiene products and clothing to those in need. Its healthcare team takes to the streets to ensure individuals are taking their medication as well as checking temperatures and blood pressures, dressing wounds and caring for them as a whole. Another team delivers warm, prepared meals. Their

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commitment to caring for the basic needs of individuals in need occurred before the pandemic as well and will certainly continue after.

Central Florida Lifestyle | December 2020

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Promoting Local Businesses

Visit Orlando’s support was needed more than ever as local restaurants transitioned to take out only and small businesses had to shut down in the springtime. “Orlando has always been a caring and resourceful community that bands together during a crisis, and 2020