food insecurity

Twelve Florida organizations dedicated to fighting food insecurity will face off in the GuideWell Block by Block Food Insecurity Challenge state finals on Wed., Oct. 16 at the GuideWell Innovation Center in Lake Nona for an opportunity to win a grand prize of $20,000 in funding to further their efforts to address food insecurity in their respective community. The 12 finalists were selected after pitching their solutions to a panel of judges at one of four regional pitch events held throughout the state in mid-September.

GuideWell issued the statewide challenge to entrepreneurs, nonprofits, innovators and organizations to seek innovative ideas for reducing or eliminating food insecurity – an issue impacting 2.8 million people in Florida alone.

From teaching people to grow microgreens in their homes to empowering residents at a homeless shelter to grow their own healthy produce to creating a virtual food drive, three organizations' innovative ideas aimed at fighting hunger in West Florida were recognized as regional finalists in GuideWell's Block by Block Florida Food Insecurity Challenge.

On Sept. 11, 15 regional finalists from across Tampa Bay pitched their innovative ideas to fight hunger in their respective communities. The Homeless Empowerment Program, The Well and Feeding Tampa Bay were selected as the thee regional finalists to receive $2,000 in funding. In addition, they will advance to GuideWell’s Block by Block Food Insecurity Challenge finals where they’ll have the opportunity to compete for a $20,000 state grand prize. Funds will be used to reduce or eliminate food insecurity in their local communities.

In the fourth and final regional pitch event for the week, GuideWell selected three South Florida organizations to advance to the Block by Block Food Insecurity Challenge state finals where they’ll have the opportunity to compete for a $20,000 state grand prize. Bridge to Hope, Lotus House and Memory Trees were selected from 9 regional finalists across South Florida on Sept. 13 to each receive $2,000 in funding to implement their innovative ideas to address food insecurity.

• Bridge to Hope (Miami-Dade County): Hope Hubs is a mobile food pantry that delivers services directly to underserved communities.

• Lotus House (Miami-Dade County): The Farm at Lotus Village is an interactive learning environment and educational program for homeless children that uses a working hydroponic urban farm

GuideWell today selected three Central Florida organizations to receive seed money to implement their innovative ideas to address food insecurity in our community. Team Zero, Fleet Farming and ElderPoint Ministries were selected from 10 regional finalists across Central Florida to receive $2,000 in funding. In addition, they will advance to GuideWell’s Block by Block Food Insecurity Challenge finals where they’ll have the opportunity to compete for a $20,000 state grand prize. Funds will be used to reduce or eliminate food insecurity in their respective local communities. The three innovative ideas from Central Florida organizations advancing to the finals include: