ORLANDO, Fla. – At a time when many families face rising costs, local organizations are stepping up to provide essential support in Central Florida.

Local organizations convened at Camping World Stadium on Saturday for Feed-a-Palooza, an event that not only provided free food distribution but also offered access to various community resources.

Jacqueline Jackson attended Saturday’s event initially for the free food and left with much more after discovering the numerous resources available to her community. She expressed that the abundance of resources was positively overwhelming.

“I came for the giveaway and the food, but I did not expect all of this,” Jackson remarked. “It’s very exciting and it’s overwhelming — very, very nice. It’s overwhelming because you get all of these goodies and all of this information that I never knew existed.”

Jackson learned about Narcan — a medication used to reverse drug overdoses — as well as more about what organizations provide beyond food giveaways.

“I never knew it was anything like this magnitude,” she added.

The timing of the event coincides with back-to-school preparation across Central Florida.

One Heart for Women and Children Founder Stephanie Bowman highlighted the comprehensive support available.

“Everybody can sign up for school supplies today as well as getting free haircuts, being able to get free physicals and many of the other resources that they need along with the fresh, healthy food,” she said. “I love that it came at the perfect time, as it always does.”

If you’re in need of assistance, you can learn more about One Heart by clicking here.