Community members across South Florida are being called upon to unite and "Go Orange" throughout the month of September in support of Hunger Action Month. The widespread annual initiative, established on a national scale by Feeding America, aims to shine a spotlight on the chronic realities of food insecurity while mobilizing local residents, businesses, and civic organizations to take direct action within their neighborhoods.
In the regional territory served by Feeding South Florida—which encompasses Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties—the scope of hunger remains a substantial challenge. An estimated 1 million local families currently grapple with nutritional uncertainty, not knowing where their next meal will come from. Among the most vulnerable segments of this affected population are nearly 500,000 children and elderly residents who face daily food instability.
To confront this ongoing crisis, the hunger-relief organization has established "More Than A Meal" as its guiding theme for this year's observance. The organizational message emphasizes that the delivery of hunger relief encompasses far more than simple caloric intake. Rather, ensuring consistent access to nutritional resources plays a transformative role in restoring personal dignity, fostering household stability, and instilling long-term hope for individuals confronting difficult socioeconomic circumstances.
Paco Vélez, the president and chief executive officer of Feeding South Florida, emphasized the broader emotional and social weight behind their mission, explaining that the observance serves as a vital reminder that every single meal distributed provides much more than nourishment on a dish. Instead, each meal embodies critical stability and renewed optimism for neighbors navigating seasons of severe uncertainty.
To amplify community contributions throughout September, corporate partner Delta Airlines is serving as the presenting sponsor and providing a dollar-for-dollar matching grant. Under this matching program, financial donations made by the public will be matched up to a total of $25,000. Because the organization operates with significant distribution efficiency, each dollar contributed allows the nonprofit to supply approximately four meals to residents in need.
Alongside direct monetary gifts, the hunger-relief nonprofit is hosting an interactive online auction during the month. This digital fundraising event gives community supporters and local donors the chance to place bids on a variety of unique items and exclusive packages, with all generated proceeds going straight to regional hunger relief operations and distribution efforts.
Local residents and community groups looking to participate in Hunger Action Month have a wide variety of ways to get involved. Feeding South Florida is encouraging individuals to launch independent fundraising drives online with friends, family members, and professional coworkers, or to organize physical neighborhood collection drives aimed at gathering essential, shelf-stable grocery items.
Area food lovers can also contribute through community dining initiatives. A selection of participating regional restaurants has pledged to support the campaign by donating a designated portion of their dining proceeds directly to Feeding South Florida, allowing patrons to fund hunger relief simply by enjoying meals at local establishments.
Hands-on volunteerism remains a central pillar of the month-long initiative. Dedicated community members are invited to register for shifts at Feeding South Florida’s regional facilities, where they can assist staff in sorting and categorizing incoming food donations within expansive warehouses or help prepare nutritious dishes at the organization's Community Kitchen facility in Boynton Beach.
Visual awareness also serves as a key component of the campaign, with the organization urging the public to embrace the symbolic color orange throughout September. Supporters are encouraged to wear orange clothing, organize creative orange-themed charity bake sales, or petition regional civic managers and landmark operators to illuminate local buildings and architectural structures in orange lighting to display community solidarity.
The organization has also scheduled several signature gatherings across the calendar, starting with the "Pack to Give Back" corporate volunteer event on September 18. Scheduled to run from 8:30 a.m. to noon, this dedicated morning session invites corporate teams and workplace groups to band together inside warehouse facilities to sort high volumes of donated items and assemble packaged family meal boxes.
The following morning, on September 19, fitness enthusiasts and philanthropic families will gather for the annual Outrun Hunger 5K – Palm Beach County. Taking place from 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at Okeeheelee Park, located at 7715 Forest Hill Boulevard in West Palm Beach, the family-oriented athletic event welcomes both competitive individuals and group teams, offering on-site amenities that include local business vendor booths and a designated Kids Zone.
The 5K event will feature notable community figures serving as official emcees, including Noura Salman, widely known as a finalist from the 39th season of the television competition "Survivor" and the entrepreneur behind SuperFreshies.com. She will share hosting responsibilities with Kirk Gimenez, who serves as senior vice president at Brickell Capital Finance while also contributing his leadership as an active member of Feeding South Florida’s Advisory Council.
The month's planned public engagements will culminate on September 29 with the formal celebration of Hunger Action Day, popularly known as "Go Orange Day." Across the four-county footprint, community members are encouraged to visibly demonstrate their advocacy by wearing official "Hunger Heroes" t-shirts, which are made available to donors for a $25 contribution.
The aggressive September campaign coincides with a major physical expansion of the nonprofit’s regional distribution capabilities. The organization recently received municipal approval in Boynton Beach for a modified site plan that clears the path for construction to begin on a new 32,000-square-foot warehouse facility located inside Quantum Corporate Park at 4925 Park Ridge Boulevard, situated just north of Gateway Boulevard near Interstate 95.
This newly approved warehouse facility represents the ultimate phase in the organization's comprehensive campus growth strategy in Palm Beach County. Through its overarching operational network of more than 350 community and nonprofit partner agencies, Feeding South Florida continues to support more than 1.7 million residents annually through integrated advocacy, family education programs, and widespread food rescue and distribution operations.
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