Local 10, Publix serving more local nonprofits during fifth annual ‘Food for Thought’

More and more working families are relying on food pantries to supplement their food supplies.

According to No Kid Hungry, a campaign of the organization Share Our Strength dedicated to ending childhood hunger in the U.S., nearly 13% of all Americans live in poverty.

No Kid Hungry reported in a 2024 survey that more than 70% of Floridians are finding it more difficult to afford groceries compared to the year before.

Hunger affects the entire family. In fact, one in five children faces hunger. It’s why since 2020, Local 10 and Publix have teamed up for Food for Thought to address food insecurity in our communities.

Food insecurity is defined as the lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active and healthy lifestyle. Children who experience hunger are more likely to struggle in school and have health complications. In adults, studies reveal that food insecurity reduces worker productivity and drives up healthcare costs.

Through our Food for Thought campaign, we raise awareness about the plight of hunger and come alongside local nonprofits to support their efforts to get nutritious meals into the hands of those who need them most.

In the past five years, we’ve stocked school food pantries from the elementary to college levels, provided weekend backpack meals to underserved children, sponsored food drives and planted vegetable gardens.

One of the organizations we’ve collaborated with is Buddy System MIA, which stocks public refrigerators across Miami-Dade County. Its founder, Kristin Guerin, moved to South Florida at the height of the pandemic to pair volunteers with homebound seniors and others who couldn’t get to food lines and needed food. Since then, Buddy System MIA has expanded its reach.

“We have about 1,400 volunteers,” Guerin told Local 10 in 2023. “We serve about 5,000 folks. We have a team of seven employees.”

In September, during Hunger Action Month, we will be working with more organizations to make healthy food accessible to vulnerable populations across South Florida.

If you’d like to find out more or get involved, the list below connects you with some local nonprofits that offer programs to feed families in our community.

If your nonprofit organization provides food services to South Florida families and would like our Food for Thought campaign to know about it, simply email our community relations department at community@local10.com.

Our goal is to connect those who have the means to help with those helping families fight food insecurity every day. Together, we can make a difference.

Broward College Seahawk Marketplace

954-201-FOOD (3663)

https://www.broward.edu/students/seahawk-outreach/marketplace.html

Community Enhancement Collaboration

954-987-0625

https://www.cecwashpark.org/

Covenant House Florida

954-561-5559

https://www.covenanthouse.org/homeless-shelters/ft-lauderdale-florida

Health in the Hood

305-714-2262

Healthinthehood.org