Featuring the area’s most accomplished chefs, brewers, wine purveyors and spirit vendors, Taste! Central Florida invites the community to enjoy an evening of tasting portions of signature dishes accompanied by fine wines, craft beers, and specialty cocktails.

This annual celebration of the community’s culinary excellence is a volunteer-driven event with local chefs, brewers and distilleries donating their time, talent and creations to make this event one of the largest fundraisers of the year for Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida is a private, nonprofit organization that collects, stores and distributes donated food to more than 550 feeding partners in six Central Florida counties: Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia. Last year, with the help of numerous donors, volunteers and a caring, committed community, the food bank distributed nearly 56 million meals to partner programs such as food pantries, soup kitchens, women’s shelters, senior centers, day care centers and Kids Cafes.

In addition to helping feed the line of our neighbors who need help, Second Harvest also transforms dozens of lives directly every year.  Economically-challenged adults who graduate from our 16-week culinary training program are placed in ‘better than minimum wage’ jobs that set them and their families on a path to self-sustainability.  Yet another important activity helps connect people who are eligible to receive SNAP food assistance benefits with the resources they need to access the program and get help.

Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida was formed in 1987 by a group of concerned citizens who noted a growing problem of homelessness in the community. Their goal is to return their residents to self-sufficiency through counseling, job training, and educational programs. While their clients work to reestablish productive lives, they provide housing and child care for their children until they are ready to move back into the community.

Last year Taste! Central Florida raised $317,359 to benefit these local children’s feeding programs. Taste! returns September 8th in hopes of raising more money this year. Make sure to get your tickets today at https://tastecfl.org/taste/.

Disclosure: I am a Taste! Central Florida social media ambassador. Due to this partnership I am given two complimentary tickets to the event. All thoughts and opinions regarding the event, charities, and restaurants are completely my own. I love this event!