LAKE PLACID, Fla. (Monday, July 20, 2026) — Families should never have to choose between putting food on the table and paying for other basic needs like housing, transportation or health care. Yet as food costs continue to rise, many households across Highlands County face difficult decisions that can impact their health and well-being.
To help support neighbors experiencing food insecurity, AdventHealth is partnering with United Way Central Florida through the United Way End Hunger Initiative to provide access to nutritious food and essential supplies for people living in the Highlands County area.
Recently, AdventHealth team members, United Way representatives and community leaders came together at South Oak Church in Lake Placid to distribute more than 10,400 pounds of food and household necessities, helping local families meet immediate needs while strengthening the health of the community.
According to United Way of Central Florida, recent data shows Highlands County’s food insecurity rate is more than 13%, including more than 3,000 children, which is higher than state average. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 19% of people in Highlands County live in poverty, which is higher than the national average.
As part of the critical efforts to help community members, AdventHealth hospitals in Highlands County are fully funding the annual costs for all three United Way of Central Florida End Hunger Sites in the county, ensuring the sites will be able to continue to service the community.
“By coming together as community partners, we can help provide relief, hope and stability for our neighbors during difficult times,” said Jason Dunkel, president and CEO of AdventHealth Sebring, Lake Placid and Wauchula. “We are grateful for the opportunity to support families in our community and connect them with resources that can make a meaningful difference.”
The United Way End Hunger Initiative features a large mobile food pantry, aiming to improve food insecurity in Highlands County in partnership with the non-profit Feeding Tampa Bay. The bi-weekly distributions at three sites in Highlands County annually serve nearly 660,000 pounds of food to 55,000 residents, including 16,000 families, all with the help of more than 2,000 volunteers.
“The hardest part about food insecurity is that so many people struggle with it in silence,” said Shawn Beumel, Highlands County Director of United Way of Central Florida. “Our End Hunger sites give them a place where they are welcomed with kindness, and AdventHealth has made that possible. Their support means families leave with more than just groceries, they leave knowing they aren’t alone.”
This food distribution event is one of several held every month in Highlands County to help people in need. The local sites where the food is distributed are South Oak Church in Lake Placid (Every second and fourth Thursday at 9:00 a.m.), Hands for the Homeless in Avon Park (Every first and third Thursday of the month at 9:30 a.m.) and First Sebring Methodist Church in Sebring, (Every first and third Saturday at 9:30 a.m.).
To learn more about The United Way of Central Florida’s End Hunger Initiative you can go to https://uwcf.org/initiatives/endhunger/
Provided by AdventHealth