Nikki Fried, lawmakers volunteer at food bank for Giving Tuesday

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. 12/1/20-Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried bags Florida Satsuma for hungry families during a Giving Tuesday event at the Second Harvest of the Big Bend Food Bank in Tallahassee. A group of elected officials and other volunteers prepared 670 bags of fruit that was donated to Second Harvest by farmers from Jackson and Jefferson counties. COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO

State and local officials, including Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, volunteered on Giving Tuesday at Tallahassee’ Second Harvest of the Big Bend.

Fried and colleagues packaged 700 bags of Florida-grown oranges from Jackson and Jefferson counties. Satsuma mandarin oranges will be distributed by Second Harvest to North Florida families in need.

“Food insecurity during COVID-19 has increased across our state,” Fried said. “We have all seen the heartbreaking stories of families standing in line for hours to get food and this is a time when everyone can come together and really help out their communities.”

Second Harvest of the Big Bend services 11 North Florida counties. Those counties include Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, Franklin, Liberty, Gadsen, Leon, Wakulla, Leon, Jefferson, Madison and Taylor.

Notably, the food bank tends to six of Florida’s top 10 most food-insecure counties.

Second Harvest of the Big Bend CEO Monique Van Pelt said the COVID-19 pandemic has created record-high demand. In response, the food bank has increased its distribution by nearly 30% and modified its distribution method.

What’s more, they’ve overcome a volunteer shortage prompted by health concerns among the elderly who often help the bank.

“We have been impacted in a profound way and it really speaks to the fragility of the people who live in our area,” Van Pelt said.

Fried was joined by Sen. Loranne Ausley, Rep. Allison Tant, Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey and many other local leaders.

Ausley, who represents North Florida’s SD 3, said she has visited several food banks during the pandemic and noticed the increased demand.

She’s optimistic that lawmakers will further address the demand in the upcoming 2021 Legislative Session.

“We can’t help but be very attuned to this in our communities right now,” Ausley said. “So I hope that the need has been underscored and that we can work together to make sure that we are addressing this need financially and leveraging federal dollars.”

More information on the Second Harvest of the Big Bend can be found online.