OCOEE, Fla. — While many spent Thanksgiving eating and spending time with family, some Central Florida families were trying to get by with the basics in life.

That’s where the Southeastern Food Bank comes in over the holiday, helping many people get through the upcoming weekend.

What You Need To Know

  • For 32 years, the Southeastern Food Bank has been servicing those in need across Central Florida

  • Instead of delivering a Thanksgiving meal, the food bank focuses on delivering essential items required for the next seven days

  • The food bank made stops in Ocoee, Orlando, Apopka and Winter Garden on Thursday.

Instead of delivering Thanksgiving meals, the food bank focused on delivering items such as toiletries, canned foods and other essentials to those who need them over the next seven days. Drivers made stops in Ocoee, Orlando, Apopka and Winter Garden on Thursday.

Southeastern Food Bank President Mark Anthony said the organization services as many people as possible over Thanksgiving.

“We will be delivering groceries to about 1,000 families," Anthony said. "It goes up and down, depending on what comes in and how many volunteers we have.”

The food bank has been servicing Central Florida for 32 years, and its small operation grew out of a garage, now using semi-trucks and a warehouse to help those in need.

Southeastern depends upon company donations for the food and volunteers to make deliveries.

Pastor Gilberto Cariano volunteered his services, including his personal vehicle, to drive boxes of goods to about 14 families.

“People in need, people that can’t get out themselves or go shopping,” Cariano said.

Cariano can relate to the folks he delivers to because he lived on the streets of Puerto Rico from ages 8 to 18.

“We suffered from food insecurities," Cariano said. "I had to hunt pigeons to feed my brother and sister.”

The Southeastern Food Bank plans to make another big push for those in need around the Christmas holiday.