Multi-Hospital Kids Produce Program Nov-Dec 25

One Question Changed Everything — And Fed Schools Across Pasco County

When you listen closely to your community, even the smallest need can become the start of something transformational.

For Access to Fresh, this moment began with a simple question — one that came from our friends at a local elementary school.

They had identified schools where students were struggling and asked:

“Can you help us get fresh produce into these kids’ hands?”

A basic request — but one that immediately revealed a much bigger need, after connecting with Thomas Promise Foundation, we learned they are servicing over 1,200 families non-perishable weekend bags to help with the needs.

And that’s exactly where we step in.

We fill a critical space in our local food system:

We are the trusted connector who can respond quickly, link partners to meaningful outcomes, and deliver fresh, local produce to communities that aren’t being reached by existing systems.

So we listened.

We connected.

And we collaborated.

From One Spark to Multi-School Impact

A temporary pause in SNAP benefits created urgency, but the real issue was larger:

Even when systems are running, too many families still fall through the gaps.

So we asked a different question:

“Who can help us meet this need, right now?”

Partners stepped up without hesitation:

💚 AdventHealth West Florida — leading the way, already scheduled to support Christmas projects added additional support and will be providing 3 weeks of fresh produce for students, and for people like Lauren Koen, who helped us distribute at local schools like Woodland Elementary, where 200 students received bundles

💚 Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospita — joining quickly with week-two support

💚 Orlando Health — stepping in to complete the multi-week effort

💚 BayCare — providing additional support for Thomas Promise to service the increased need

This is what happens when a community collaborates with purpose.

Impact You Can Feel — and Measure

In just two weeks we were able to deliver fresh produce across:

13 schools
1,166 students
33,761 servings (12,950 lbs!) With 3 more weeks of support to go.

Plus, AdventHealth Wesley Chapel supported with an additional 16,000 lbs and 43,000 servings of fresh produce to be included in 2,000 Thanksgiving meals to families serviced by Life Church.

Just as meaningful: this produce was purchased directly from our local farm partners, not donated — strengthening both families and our regional food economy.

1,800 heads of lettuce from Shady Oaks Farm
2,000 lbs of Florida-grown cucumbers

But the real impact are moments like this:

One teacher shared that after a tough meeting with a parent about his children, she quietly offered him a bag of produce. He held it for a moment, tears in his eyes, and said, “It’s been so long since we’ve had good food like this.”

This is the story behind the numbers that reveal the heart of our work, and this is the space Access to Fresh was built for!

We may not have the scale or visibility of the larger organizations — yet.

But we keep showing up. Because the way we listen, respond, and connect is different. And right now, that difference is needed more than ever.

We are here to: