ORLANDO, Fla. — As Thanksgiving approaches, local organizations that help feed Central Florida families say they’re running out of resources faster than ever.
United Against Poverty Orlando, a nonprofit that serves more than 10,000 people each year, says it’s now operating with no federal funds and seeing a surge in families seeking help.
“These are the stories of people saying, ‘I’m going to have to ration food and not eat myself because my children still have to eat,’” said Executive Director Anjali Vaya. “We’re absolutely in a crisis.”
Vaya said the food bank is serving nearly 700 people a day, almost double its normal load.
Many are new faces, including seniors, single parents, and federal workers who have never needed food assistance before. “We’ve gone through disasters, hurricanes, and things like that, where we see a spike for a day or two. But this time, there is no funding,” Vaya said. “It’s all emptied out in a matter of hours.”
According to the Florida Department of Children and Families, more than 200,000 people in Orange County rely on SNAP benefits. But with many of those benefits disrupted during the government shutdown, and paychecks delayed for federal employees, more people are turning to food banks to make it through the holidays.
Leonardo, who works in construction, visited United Against Poverty for the first time on Tuesday. “We have to pay rent, all the services. We have to adjust however we can,” he said in Spanish.
Vaya said it all becomes especially difficult as the holidays approach. “It makes it so much harder that we’re going into Thanksgiving. Everyone wants to celebrate with their families, and Christmas follows. Those are expensive holidays.”
To meet the growing need, United Against Poverty is doubling the number of turkeys and meals it plans to distribute this Thanksgiving — enough for about 900 families. The organization will host a special event on Saturday in Baldwin Park to help keep up with demand.
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