Healthy Family Project, industry partners celebrate impact at Southern Exposure
Healthy Family Project, industry partners celebrate impact at Southern Exposure
Healthy Family Project welcomed more than 200 produce industry professionals on Feb. 27 for its annual Thank You Reception during the Southeast Produce Council’s 2026 Southern Exposure event. The event celebrated the collective impact made in 2025 through retail and digital cause marketing campaigns supporting families across the country.
Through partnerships with retailers, brands, and industry organizations, Healthy Family Project and its supporters raised more than $348,000 in 2025 to benefit Feeding America food banks, the Foundation for Fresh Produce, Our Military Kids and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Since its founding in 2002, the initiative has generated more than $8 million in charitable support.
“For more than two decades, this industry has demonstrated the power of collaboration,” said John Shuman, president of Shuman Farms and founder of Healthy Family Project. “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.”
During the reception, donation check presentations recognized the retail and digital campaign brand partners who made the 2025 impact possible. Retail campaigns included Publix Super Markets, Associated Wholesale Grocers Springfield Division, Coborn’s, DECA and Lowes Food Stores. Digital campaigns included Back to School, Mission for Nutrition and Carry the Cause.
Additional speakers included Dan Samuels, director of philanthropy at Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, and Kara Dallman, executive director of Our Military Kids. Samuels highlighted the far-reaching impact of Healthy Family Project’s campaigns through food bank partnerships, noting that one in seven children in Second Harvest’s service area faces hunger today. Dallman emphasized the meaningful difference Healthy Family Project’s military campaigns have made by funding grants that help children of deployed, activated or injured service members maintain stability and connection through extracurricular activities.
The evening also served as a reminder of the produce industry’s shared commitment to increasing access to fresh foods, expanding nutrition education and supporting families nationwide. Planning is already under way for 2026 campaigns, creating new opportunities for brands and retailers to join the mission and further expand their community impact.
