State Representative Daisy Morales led efforts to help families in need. Morales hosted a food distribution event on Tuesday, Dec. 14.

Helping Families in Need

In a report with Florida National News, the event occurred at E3 Community Church. Morales wanted to help struggling families in need ahead of Christmas. 

The State Representative also partnered with 4 Roots – Feed The Need Florida, Lady Storm Foundation, and Dedicated Senior Medical Center. 

Morales said that the event was free for all. Everyone was welcome to come and take the food until supplies last. Organizers of the event said that the supplies were on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Morales invited those who were struggling to come to the event. She pointed out that these community efforts were raised to end food insecurity in the area. 

She added that food was a basic human necessity. It was not right that people were deprived of this need. Morales encouraged the public to do what they could as a community to help. 

Feed the Need

In an earlier report with Florida National News, Morales held a similar food distribution event in June of this year. She also partnered with different community agencies to host the event. 

To follow COVID-19 safety standards, Morales instructed families to stay in their cars while volunteers loaded supplies into their trunks. 

The residents received groceries, fresh produce, and other essentials. The State Representative instructed the residents to follow safety protocols during the event. 

Morales noted that food distribution events like this one were meant to help ease economic burdens. She said that many families lost their livelihood to the pandemic. Job loss caused suffering and food insecurity, and she wanted to end that. 

She urged people to be more compassionate. 

Morales said that the event is meant to help those Orange County families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Farm Share and Representative Morales planned to host more food distribution events across Orange County in July and August.

What is Food Insecurity? 

According to the University of Florida, food insecurity happens when people have inconsistent access to food. 

The study also said that food insecurity due to lack of financial resources was often linked to health problems such as obesity. 

Research also showed that one in 13 US households had low food security. These numbers meant that 31.3 million adults and 6.4 million children experienced food insecurity.

Approximately 3,315,500 Florida residents are experiencing food insecurity. According to the data, Florida ranks 10th in food insecurity and 8th in child food insecurity. 

The state has 67 counties. Out of these 67 counties, 53 have food insecurity rates above 15 percent. The top five food-insecure counties are Gadsden (22.5%), Leon (21%), Hamilton (20.5%), Alachua (19.8%), and Putnam (19.7%). 

The study said that those who experience food insecurity often buy cheaper food such as ramen noodles and chips. Many of these individuals might not have access to farmers' markets or groceries that offer fresh produce. 

Those who suffer from food insecurity do not have access to healthier food choices. 

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