Healthy Family Project And Industry Partners Celebrate 2025 Impact At Southern Exposure
Annual Reception Highlights Industry Collaboration and Continued Commitment to Families
Healthy Family Project welcomed more than 200 produce industry professionals on February 27, 2026, 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 (AWG) 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 underway for 2026 campaigns, creating new opportunities for brands and retailers to join the mission and further expand their community impact.
For more information about Healthy Family Project and partnership opportunities, visit HealthyFamilyProject.com.
About Healthy Family Project
Healthy Family Project believes in creating a healthier generation. As a cause marketing organization, Healthy Family Project creates programs, like Produce for Kids, that provide easy, fun, and inspiring recipes and healthy ideas. Since its creation in 2002 by Shuman Farms, Healthy Family Project has raised more than $8 million to benefit children and families and provided more than 23 million meals through Feeding America. To learn more about Healthy Family Project and healthy eating, visit healthyfamilyproject.com.
