Healthy Family Project gathered more than 200 produce industry professionals in Orlando on Feb. 27 for its annual Thank You Reception during the Southeast Produce Council’s 2026 Southern Exposure event, celebrating a year of cause marketing campaigns that raised more than $348,000 for charitable partners.
The funds benefited Feeding America food banks, the Foundation for Fresh Produce, Our Military Kids, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Since its founding in 2002, Healthy Family Project has generated more than $8 million in charitable support.
Retail and digital campaigns drove 2025 results
Retail campaign partners in 2025 included Publix Super Markets, Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) Springfield Division, Coborn’s, DECA and Lowes Food Stores. Digital campaigns — Back to School, Mission for Nutrition and Carry the Cause – rounded out the year’s fundraising efforts.
John Shuman, president of Shuman Farms and founder of Healthy Family Project, credited the breadth of industry participation for the initiative’s staying power. “For more than two decades, this industry has demonstrated the power of collaboration,” Shuman said. “In 2025, we helped families put more wholesome, nutritious food on the table while strengthening the communities we serve. We are proud of the progress we’ve made and energized for the work ahead.”
Guest speakers at the reception put numbers in human terms. Dan Samuels, director of philanthropy at Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, noted that one in seven children in his organization’s service area faces hunger today. Kara Dallman, executive director of Our Military Kids, described how the program’s military campaigns fund grants that help children of deployed, activated or injured service members maintain stability through extracurricular activities.
Planning for 2026 campaigns is already underway, with new partnership opportunities open to brands and retailers looking to expand their community footprint through cause marketing.
[RELATED: Coborn’s Teams Up With Healthy Family Project For Produce For Kids Campaign]
