A Hunger To Serve

As a child growing up in Texas, Paco Vélez found the most joy in activities that would ultimately lead him to where he is today professionally.

“I’ve always been drawn to service,” says Vélez, CEO of Feeding South Florida. The nonprofit hunger relief organization in Pembroke Park is a member of Feeding America. Whether it was being an altar boy in church or working in customer service at Walmart, his happiness came from helping others, Vélez says. “I didn’t even realize it was my true calling,” he adds.

After graduating from Baylor University, “divine intervention,” he says, got him a job at a food bank in San Antonio, Texas. A colleague at the temp agency where he was working brought Vélez on board when he was hired as executive director.

Now 48, Vélez has been helping people facing food insecurity for almost 22 years, the last 10 with Feeding South Florida, which serves 25% of the state’s food insecure. The organization not only provides meals through direct-service programs and a network of over 350 community partners, it addresses the root causes of hunger and breaks the cycle of poverty through workforce training and other programming. A branch with community kitchen and food distribution center serves Palm Beach County from Boynton Beach.

No matter the adversity, be it government shutdown or storm, and whether Vélez is meeting volunteers, elected officials, donors or community members, his core value is always service.

The pandemic posed serious challenges to meeting food assistance needs as well as keeping staff and clients safe. The number of clients coming into the network doubled from a prepandemic 700,000 to 1.5 million in Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. As the pandemic eased, the number of clients decreased, but current conditions of inflation, supply chain issues, high fuel and housing costs created a new urgency.

Given the tough economic climate, the focus on Hunger Action Month in September, Feeding America’s national initiative to raise awareness, is even more critical. Feeding South Florida’s annual Outrun Hunger 5K is scheduled for Sept. 24, at 7:30 a.m. at Okeeheelee Park in West Palm Beach.

Whatever comes his way, Vélez takes pride seeing his team grow and do right by clients.

“They understand what’s at stake. They work hard and make my job easy.”

For more information about the Outrun Hunger event, visit feedingsouthflorida.org/outrunhungerpbc.