This month we’re partnering with Society of St. Andrew (SoSA), a hunger relief organization in downtown Orlando, to spread the word on how we can help locals without access to affordable, healthy food. We sat down with Program Coordinator, Mike Elmore to learn more about SoSA and ways we can get involved.

What is SoSA?
Society of St. Andrew is a national hunger-relief nonprofit with our Florida office located in downtown Orlando. We’ve been in the Sunshine State since 1995. Our goal is to end hunger and food waste through gleaning, which is the gathering of excess crops left in the field by local farms. I coordinate volunteer groups, local farms, and food agencies throughout the harvest season (October to May in Florida) for a planned glean. We also host alternative spring breaks for high school and college kids, taking them on gleans throughout the week, and visiting local food banks.

What is the biggest challenge about fighting hunger in Central Florida?
Honestly, I think the biggest problem is a lack of awareness. In Florida, one in six people are food insecure — meaning they lack reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious food — it goes down to one in five for children in our state (including college kids). Hunger isn’t necessarily a feeling that can be seen on the outside, especially if it’s something a person has been dealing with their whole life. So, it’s easy to ignore.

What is SoSA doing specifically to aid in Hunger Action Month?
Our main objective for this year’s Hunger Action Month is to spread awareness. We have been advertising our fall gleaning schedule, which we start in October. We have scheduled meetings with student groups at a local college about campus hunger and the constant dining services dilemma. We have also been placing large loads of sweet potatoes in local food banks all summer, continuing through Hunger Action Month.

How can we help?
1. Sign up to volunteer with SoSA: endhunger.org/register
2. Stop wasting so much food at home. The average household in the United States wastes up to $2,200/year on food they never eat.
3. Shop ugly: So much of the produce that we get from farms is perfectly fine, but our consumer habits have made it hard for growers to sell “ugly” fruit (e.g., too big, too small or in a funny shape). Hungry Harvest is one way that you can “shop ugly”. When you order from them, they’ll deliver that “ugly” produce to your doorstep.
4. Wear orange on Thursday to support Hunger Action Day!
5. Skip a meal and donate what you would’ve spent. With just $50, SoSA can provide one person the suggested servings of fruits and veggies for an entire year.

What are five other organizations we should check out?
1.The Orlando Union Rescue Mission (Parramore)
2. Servant’s Heart Ministry (Edgewood)
3. Catholic Charities (SR 436)
4. Second Harvest of Central Florida (West Colonial/Mercy Drive)
5. Bread for the World (Orlando)

If you want to volunteer at Society of St. Andrew, start by visiting their website here. You can also send them an email or give them a call. And tell em’ we sent you. In the meantime, check back in with Pulptown this month as each Monday, we share ways you can personally help to end hunger here in Central Florida.

Is there something or someone in the Greater Orlando area that you want to explore further? A nonprofit you want to know more about? Send your ideas our way by shooting us an email at hello@pulp.town or tag us on social at #pulptown and @pulptown.

🚨 GIVEAWAY ALERT 🚨

To celebrate their website relaunch, we’ve partnered with Swan City, an Orlando-centric goods e-comm site, to give away some sweet Orlando-loving swag this week. They’ll be at Orlando Flea on September 16 and North Quarter Rendezvous on September 18 to score more of their goods in person. To snag the free swag, all you have to do is be signed up with both Pulptown and Swan City’s newsletters. Want a bonus entry? Refer a friend to sign up for Pulptown using your unique referral code— https://pulp.town/invitation/*|UNIQID|*. Each referral equals another entry.

🎵 THE ROOF IS ON FIRE 🎵

Okay, it’s not, at least we hope not. But our new September playlist is pretty hot. It’s one surefire way to get your week off to a great start. Check it out here.

A growing burden. The average renter in Orlando is now officially “rent burdened” — meaning more than 30 percent of their income goes toward rent. That’s according to a new report from Zillow, which also found that low-income renters in our city fork over an average of 63.7 percent of their wages for rent each month. Meanwhile, the National Low-Income Housing Coalition says workers must now make at least $16.33 an hour to afford a basic studio apartment in Orlando. (Orlando Weekly)

A fatal dog mauling in Casselberry has prompted Seminole County to introduce a “responsible pet ownership” ordinance that would allow authorities to designate certain dogs as aggressive. Aggressive pets would be muzzled and leashed and banned from dog parks and businesses. Reese, a 6-year-old Yorkie, was mauled to death last fall by a larger dog with a history of lunging at other dogs and people. (Orlando Sentinel)

La diaspora, visualized. A group of local artists known as the Puerto Rican Arts Diaspora will unveil a new exhibit at the Appleton Music of Art in Ocala, starting Sept. 15. The exhibit aims to support the artists who represent the island through their artwork, and “share their stories, their experiences, their dreams… all bonded by a common homeland of Puerto Rico.” (Orlando Sentinel)

We’re No. 1. The number of women-owned businesses is growing faster in Florida than in any other state in the U.S., according to a new report from American Express. Nationwide, women-owned businesses have increased by just 12 percent since 2007. In the Sunshine State, that rate is a whopping 58 percent. (Orlando Weekly)

Free the beard. Facial hair has long been a no-no for employees at Publix grocery stores, but that could soon change as the Florida chain begins allowing some male workers to grow “short, well-kept beards.” Hipster grocers everywhere, rejoice. (Orlando Sentinel)

WHILE WE HAVE YOUR ATTENTION

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Stay connected, Orlando,
-Pulptown