ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Hundreds of people arrived at an east Orange County food distribution site that was the first in a series of pre-Thanksgiving giveaways in Central Florida.
The first people arrived almost three hours early, citing the uncertainty of SNAP benefits and rising prices that were making it hard to put dinner on the table.
The event, organized by Commissioner Maribel Gomez-Cordero and Congressman Maxwell Frost, had the capacity to feed 350 families. Marketing was targeted at SNAP recipients and federal workers, though all were welcome.
Boxes from the Second Harvest Food Bank were distributed, while nonprofit leaders said searches on their Food Finder website were up 300%.
Another distribution is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday at West Orange High School.
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