Second Harvest Food Bank receives donation from County Council.

Written by Kristen Schmutz

Belden Communications News

The Volusia County Council presented an oversized check to the Second Harvest Food Bank during a regularly scheduled council meeting on Tuesday, June 21, totaling almost $26,000 to help boost efforts in combating hunger within the community.

According to a release, none of the money came from tax dollars but from two annual events, a charitable fund drive organized by Volusia County and other local governments, and the County’s annual State of the County banquet. Funds from both events combined into a single, oversized check for $25,776.15 were presented Tuesday morning to Second Harvest. Second Harvest partners with more than 80 local agencies in Volusia County to deliver hunger relief aid to the community. With bulk buying power, Second Harvest Food Bank can convert every dollar donated into $9 worth of food, and with every $10 able to fund 40 meals.

Tuesday’s donation will help provide more than 104,000 meals to the needy.

“The Second Harvest Food Bank is a tremendous organization,” Volusia County Community Information Director Kevin Captain. “They collect, store and distribute to 86 partner agencies in Volusia County.”

The 2022 public employee food drive, called Feed the Need, was held between March 21-April 1 and generated $15,776.15 in donations. Participating agencies included the County of Volusia, the Volusia County Tax Collector’s Office, and ten local city governments – Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach Shores, Edgewater, New Smyrna Beach, Orange City, Ormond Beach, Pierson, Ponce Inlet, Port Orange, and South Daytona. The County organized the Feed the Need fundraiser since 2012 and spurred some friendly competition among participating agencies to make it a fun event for a serious cause. The most money collected by a County operating division was Fire Rescue ($2,320), and by a municipal government was Ormond Beach ($700).

This year’s awards for the most money donated per capita, based on the number of employees in each County division or municipal government, went to Volusia County Treasury and Billing and the Town of Pierson.

An additional $10,000 incorporated into the donation came from the Volusia County Council in May, from a surplus in funds after invoices for the State of the County banquet were paid. The State of the County is an annual event hosted by the County Council that highlights the County’s goals and accomplishments throughout the year.

“Second Harvest Food Bank can’t do the work that we do without generous donors like County employees or community partners like you all,” said Stephanie Marie Palacious, Director of Advocacy and Government Relations with Second Harvest Food Bank, who was on hand Tuesday to receive the check. “Thank you so much for thinking of Second Harvest and the people that we serve.”