In late September/ early October 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm, bringing widespread destruction to Florida. The storm hit the hardest in the Big Bend region and caused severe damage and disruption. In the days that followed, rural communities struggled with blocked roads, power outages, and limited access to food and clean water.

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, BBF provided a grant to Second Harvest of the Big Bend, enabling them to quickly mobilize emergency food distributions and reach affected communities.

“Because the donation arrived quickly, we were able to activate emergency food distributions within hours—reaching some of the most isolated and devastated communities in our service area,” they reported. “The grant helped us serve thousands of individuals and families, particularly in rural counties where food insecurity is already among the worst in Florida and local resources are limited.”

Over the course of their response, Second Harvest distributed more than 2 million pounds of essential supplies—including dry food, water, fresh produce, ice, and MREs—to individuals and families affected by the storm. Thousands of residents received help, with special attention given to those in rural counties where local resources were limited and damage was severe.

While the initial focus was on immediate relief, the grant also helped support the longer road to recovery. Second Harvest continued to deliver food and supplies over several months, adapting to meet evolving needs. They also worked closely with local partner agencies whose own facilities and operations had been disrupted by the storm.

The team at Second Harvest noted that one of their key takeaways was the importance of rapid response and flexible support. “One of the most important lessons we learned was the value of speed—getting funding in hand quickly made all the difference.”