WFC and Second Harvest Partner To Fight Hunger

Share:

Posted Aug 4, 2015

WFC and Second Harvest Partner To Fight Hunger

World Food Championships and Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida linked aprons today in an innovative partnership to bring together culinary food athletes and an organization that supports people living without food security.

“One in six people in America will struggle with hunger at some point during the year,” said Dave Krepcho, president and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. “The success of our mission depends entirely on partners like the World Food Championships that help us to close the hunger gap in Central Florida.”

Statistics on hunger in the Central Florida area mirror the national ones with residents turning to charitable feeding programs for help with food 3,731,700 times last year, averaging 71,600 times in a typical week.

Mike McCloud, CEO of World Food Championships, said that food athletes have always understood hunger. That’s why World Food Championships have chosen to donate all leftover pantry food products from each day of the Nov. 3-10 World Food Championships competitions to Second Harvest.

“Our partnership with Second Harvest is in our DNA,” he said. “From day one of WFC, we have always worked with local food banks and charities, so this relationship is important to us as a culinary event. More importantly, it is a relationship that the competitors, judges and spectators feel very strongly about.”

The partnership between Second Harvest and WFC goes beyond food donations. It includes a Kick-Off Dinner hosted by Second Harvest’s award winning Chef, Israel Santiago, who, along with graduates of his culinary school, will host The Second Chance Dinner to further benefit Second Harvest on Nov 2.

Chef Santiago will also provide demonstrations at the Sizzle Spot during the competition dates of the WFC. He’ll show how to create innovative and amazing recipes with items often available through a food bank.
Krepcho explained that Second Harvest operates a culinary training program that offers people the opportunity for job security in the culinary industry.

“Chef Santiago is an amazingly creative instructor and has led many students into a new career,” Krepcho said.

The Grand Champion of the World Food Championships competition will be crowned on Tuesday, Nov 10, after which WFC and Second Harvest will host a Grand Tasting Awards dinner. Tickets for that event are available at the WFC website wordfoodchampionships.com/tickets.

During that dinner, Second Harvest will offer a silent auction. The proceeds of that auction will benefit the scholarship program at the Second Harvest Culinary School.

About Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida
SHFBCF is a member of Feeding America – the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the United States. SHFBCF secures and distributes food and grocery products to approximately 550 local nonprofit feeding programs throughout Central Florida. Last year, with the help of food and financial donors, volunteers and a caring, committed community, the food bank distributed nearly 64 million pounds of grocery products – the equivalent of more than 53 million meals – to partner programs such as food pantries, soup kitchens, women’s shelters, senior centers, day care centers and Kids Cafes. Our community turns to Second Harvest’s partner agencies more than 71,000 times per week. To learn more about SHFBCF, visit www.FeedHopeNow.org.

« Back to News

WFC and Second Harvest Partner To Fight Hunger

© 2024 World Food Championships. All rights reserved. The World Food Championships is a production of WFC Holdings, Inc.