HCA Florida Healthcare is celebrating National Volunteer Month through its continued commitment to fighting food insecurity in Central Florida.

At least 80 colleagues from HCA Florida Healthcare sites of care across the Greater Orlando region came together at Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida on April 18 and April 23 to help sort and pack food donations. HCA Florida Healthcare volunteers also presented a $20,000 donation to help provide food to families experiencing hunger. The events were part of HCA Healthcare’s national We Show Up for Our Communities initiative that occurs each April to address community needs through volunteering, making charitable donations and partnering with local organizations.

“The HCA Florida Healthcare family is committed to the care and improvement of human life, and Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida is a key partner in our mission through its vital work to provide healthy meals to families in need,” said David Shimp, CEO, HCA Florida Osceola Hospital. “We’re honored to support Second Harvest with today’s financial gift, as well as the service of our dedicated volunteers this month and all year long.”

The organization Feeding America estimates one in eight people, and one in six children, in Central Florida live in households that may be food insecure, which means not having enough nutritious food to have an active, healthy life. This year’s We Show Up initiative brings HCA Florida Healthcare’s total contribution to Second Harvest to $70,000, more than 5,000 pounds of food and more than 800 volunteer hours since the partnership began in 2021.

“Every day, hundreds of thousands of our neighbors across Central Florida face hunger. It takes a caring and committed community to ensure families have the nourishment they need while working to regain stability,” said Dan Samuels, director of philanthropy, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. “We’re deeply grateful for HCA Florida Healthcare’s longstanding partnership in this fight. They exemplify what it means to Show Up and support those who need us most.”

We Show Up for Our Communities is part of HCA Healthcare’s enterprise-wide focus on providing the quality healthcare our patients deserve as well as showing up to address needs in our community.  In 2024, HCA Florida Healthcare colleagues from 650 facilities volunteered more than 38,000 hours and committed nearly $1.2 million to community partner organizations in the Sunshine State.

About HCA Florida Healthcare

HCA Florida Healthcare, a part of HCA Healthcare, is a family of more than 650 affiliated sites of care, including hospitals, physician practices, freestanding emergency rooms and urgent care centers. As one of the state’s leading healthcare networks, HCA Florida Healthcare’s 11,100 experienced doctors and more than 84,000 colleagues work together to deliver equitable, evidence-based collaborative care through more than 12 million patient encounters annually. HCA Florida Healthcare is committed to improving more lives in more ways and giving back to the communities it serves. In 2024, the network provided more than $1 billion in uncompensated care and contributed more than $3.7 million to community organizations across the state. In addition, HCA Florida Healthcare offers patients access to highly trained specialists, including the state’s most comprehensive cardiovascular network. A strong advocate for the next generation of healthcare professionals, HCA Florida Healthcare is a leader in in training future healthcare professionals, offering 151 Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs at 27 different hospitals with more than 2,400 residents. For more information, please visit HCAFloridaHealthcare.com.

HCA Florida Healthcare facilities in Orlando includes five hospitals: HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital (with Level II Trauma Center) in Sanford, Oviedo Medical Center, HCA Florida Osceola Hospital (with Level II Trauma Center) in Kissimmee, HCA Florida Poinciana Hospital and UCF Lake Nona Hospital, as well as 12 freestanding emergency rooms, 13 MD Now Urgent Care Centers and numerous physician practices.

About Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida (SHFBCF)

SHFBCF is a member of Feeding America – the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the United States. SHFBCF secures and distributes food and grocery products to more than 870 local nonprofit feeding partners throughout Central Florida. With the help of food and financial donors, volunteers and a caring, committed community, the food bank distributes 300,000 meals every day to a seven-county service area, which includes Brevard, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia. Feeding neighbors facing hunger is only the beginning. By investing in job training programs, advocating for access to nutritious foods, and inspiring our community to get involved, SHFBCF is leaning into the root causes of hunger and helping our neighbors thrive. With support from the Central Florida community, Second Harvest Food Bank is feeding inspiration, change, achievement, health — and families facing hunger. To learn more about SHFBCF, visit www.FeedHopeNow.org.