The increase is due to a number of factors including the coronavirus pandemic and the global economic collapse.
A national survey conducted by Feeding America found one out of six adults, and one out of three children in Central Florida could be food insecure by December.
Second Harvest CEO Dave Krepcho says if residents want to help, he recommends volunteering at the food bank and donating funds or food products.
But he says if people don't have the time or the money, they can also fill out a census form.
“Go out and participate in the census. That doesn’t cost any money because there are just hundreds of millions of dollars, I think almost a billion dollars, is allocated based on the results of that census.”
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Krepcho also encourages people to vote in the primaries.
Early voting in Orange County and 27 other counties in the state began yesterday.
“And the other thing to do is folks have to get out and vote. Vote for who you believe is really taking care of the folks in need, and the people who make this country what it is. So those are a couple additional things that don't cost money but have a massive impact on our lives for years to come."
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Krepcho said since mid-March, the food bank has doubled the amount of food it distributes on a daily basis to the sum of 300,000 meals.
To find the food bank nearest you,click on the link.
If you'd like to listen to this story, click on the clips above.
