Pictured: Kelly and Rick Hornback have been volunteering for All Faiths Food Bank since 2022; they have found deep fulfillment assisting with the Gocio Elementary School Pantry in Sarasota Provided photo/AFFB

Summer is a season of change. Children are out of school. Families are navigating increased living costs and childcare expenses. And for many households, budgets are stretched thinner than ever. At All Faiths Food Bank, our work to make sure no one in our community goes hungry becomes even more urgent.

Through September, All Faiths needs 800 volunteers to provide approximately 12,000 hours of support at 60 planned outdoor mobile pantries. These distributions are a crucial part of our summer response, helping to ensure children, families, seniors and veterans have access to nutritious food.

This work is especially important as local households continue to feel the pressure of increasing grocery, fuel and insurance costs. For families already struggling to make ends meet, summer can bring additional challenges.

Our volunteers make it possible to respond.

In 2025, 3,200 “Hunger Heroes” contributed more than 59,000 hours to help our neighbors facing hunger. These volunteers sorted and packed food, worked at mobile distributions, supported nutrition education and cooking classes, helped at events, and contributed in countless other ways.

Much of the volunteer work needed over the next couple of months involves helping at outdoor mobile pantries in the sweltering Florida heat. We know it’s not easy work. But when you volunteer, you help make sure more of our neighbors can access the food they need during one of the most challenging times of year.

You may help a child who no longer has access to school meals. You may help a senior stretch a fixed income or a working family make ends meet. And you help All Faiths reach more people when the need is greatest.

For more about All Faiths Food Bank or to learn how you can be a hands-on “Hunger Hero” this summer, visit allfaithsfoodbank.org/volunteer.

Nelle S. Miller is the President and CEO of All Faiths Food Bank.

Pictured: Kelly and Rick Hornback have been volunteering for All Faiths Food Bank since 2022; they have found deep fulfillment assisting with the Gocio Elementary School Pantry in Sarasota Provided photo/AFFB