This fall was full of new beginnings. As a new intern working with REACH and Florida Impact to End Hunger, I had to hit the ground running the first day on the job! I was excited to start working on the different projects that were already active, like the Miami Gardens Healthy Corner Stores Project and ventures that were soon to come.

I have lived in Miami Gardens my whole life and have never been to any of the stores that we have partnered with. Visiting those stores and working with the store owners has made this continuous experience one that has been and will go on to be very beneficial for the community.

I am working on trying to get fresh, healthier items into our local grocery/corner stores so that Miami Gardens residents who are disadvantaged can have that choice to have better food options in their individual households.

In the upcoming year, we will take the Miami Gardens Healthy Corner Stores Project even further after the recent passage of the official healthy corner store designation policy. With this new policy, we will be able to bring more stores into the project and create long-term initiatives that would expand our reach in different parts of Miami Gardens.

I truly believe that the work I am doing is important for the community. The part I play only addresses a small portion of the bigger issue of food disparity within the area that needs to be addressed. My only ask is that people acknowledge these issues and be proactive in the change they want to see. There is so much to be done!

One way to get involved is to give a donation. Anything is something, whether it is big or small. I know we are in a pandemic, but that is even more reason to give and make an impact for those that have been struggling the most. We want to further introduce fresh produce in the stores at affordable prices for city residents, but Florida Impact to End Hunger needs funding to do that. Please visit www.floridaimpact.org/donate to gift a donation and help Florida’s families.

“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about” – Margaret J. Wheatly

Raniya Mims

REACH Intern

Florida Impact to End Hunger

Unfortunately, many people believe that their vote doesn’t make a difference and, therefore, why bother? And though technically it’s true—one vote won’t necessarily make or break an election—that belief can spread between families and friends and communities and, before you know it, millions are opting out because…why bother?

On the first day of early voting in Florida this year, 366,436 people voted. Four years ago, that number was only 290,000. The presidential election was decided in Florida in 2016 based on less than 120,000 votes.

And while that may sound promising, whoever you’re voting for, remember that we are a swing state. Over 14 million people are registered to vote in Florida, and our wonderfully-diverse state is divided almost evenly between the two major parties plus 3 million people registered as ‘unaffiliated’. On the first day of early voting in Florida this year, 153,743 republicans voted, 154,004 democrats voted, and 58,689 unaffiliated voted. A very small number of people in Florida are likely to make a difference.

I hope you are beginning to see that your vote very well may make a difference in this election. Talk to your friends and neighbors about voting and make a plan, and build your own community of Florida voters.

As an anti-hunger advocate, I know that this election will make a difference on the issues I care about at the federal, state, and local levels. Florida Impact to End Hunger wants to see a strong safety net for our citizens, where Floridians don’t have to rely on food pantries during times of public health emergencies and natural disasters.

We want an increase in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and full implementation of the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) program to help households that usually depend on free or reduced-price meals at school, but are now schooling virtually.

What are your top issues, and which candidates will support them?

Please make a plan to vote in the upcoming general election on or, better yet, before November 3rd. If you’ve requested and obtained a mail-in ballot, make sure you drop that off as soon as you can. If you don’t have a mail-in ballot, you can visit an early voting site in your county and cast your vote there.

Early voting began on October 19th and ends on November 1st. The clock is ticking. Vote early!

Finally, if November 3rd arrives and you have not voted, please put on a mask and go vote at your assigned precinct. Detailed information about how to vote can be found at the website of your county’s supervisor of elections here → http://dos.elections.myflorida.com/supervisors/

Click here for some other great voting information for Floridians.

Your voice matters, and your vote counts. Don’t skip this one.

Trudy Novicki

President/CEO

Florida Impact to End Hunger

Going into this summer, everything was extremely uncertain and different, and I became worried that I wouldn’t be able to impact my community the way I had hoped. But, thankfully, I was chosen for the opportunity to work alongside Florida Impact to End Hunger as a No Kid Hungry Youth Ambassador.

Because of this unprecedented pandemic, the Summer BreakSpot enrichment practices Florida Impact to End Hunger did in past summers would not be feasible, so we all had to adapt and find a new way to work with the Broward County Libraries to spread the word about their Summer BreakSpot meal sites, which would now be served as Grab ’n’ Go.

Supplying Summer BreakSpot meals with Food ’N’ Fun activity packs ended up being our enrichment practice. We spent the beginning of the summer putting these packs together, deciding which toys and activities we thought the kids would most enjoy.

Interacting with the families who benefitted from the Summer BreakSpot program was incredible. I had the opportunity to communicate with many of them in English, Spanish, and French, which reflects how the need for healthy food is something that goes beyond just one group in our community, but rather affects all different facets of our community.

The summer I was able to spend with Florida Impact to End Hunger allowed me to learn so much about adapting and working as an effective team member. It changed my perspective on many things. The amount of need for these kinds of food distribution programs was quite an eye-opener.

I was also taken aback at the amount of people working tirelessly throughout our community to service and aid those in need however possible, and I was blessed to play a small role in that effort this summer.

– Julian Perez-Hernandez

No Kid Hungry Youth Ambassador

Summer 2020

Mariana Viso chose to spend her summer serving the community. As part of Hunger Free America’s VISTA program, she’s helped Florida Impact to End Hunger with the Summer BreakSpot sites at libraries throughout Miami-Dade. As the summer comes to a close, we’ve asked her to share a few words about her experience…

“My work with Florida Impact to End Hunger and with VISTA has allowed me to become closer to my community. This pandemic has affected many of us, but it has disproportionately hit low-income families the hardest.

My work over the summer has allowed me to give back to my community.

While talking to the families that are receiving meals, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of what others are going through and listen to all the different points of view that are found in my diverse Miami-community.

Though giving a couple of meals might not seem like much, it can actually make a big difference to a family. Small actions can have very powerful effects.”

– Mariana Viso

Hunger Free America Summer Associate

Welcome to our newer series on the Florida Impact to End Hunger blog where we highlight our wonderful group of board members and team with a brief interview. This time around, we look to longtime board member Lisa Early who is also the Director of the Families, Parks and Recreation Department for City of Orlando.

How long have you lived in Florida and what has kept you in the Sunshine State?

I moved to Florida in 1990… that makes it 30 years. What’s kept me here? I thought about moving a few years ago, because I’m a big city girl and felt like this place was too “small town.” But a couple of my family members didn’t want to leave. I felt it was the right thing to do to let their preference rule.

What do/did you do for a living and what life experiences do you think lead you to your field?

My resume is 40 years long, and includes work overseas with Save the Children, UNICEF, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Then, after returning to the United States, I worked for Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and, since 2003, the City of Orlando, as the City’s Families, Parks and Recreation Director.