Ben Gordon shows his 'love' for the Magic's Hoops for Hunger Program

EATONVILLE -- Every kid at Hungerford Elementary is a part of the free or reduced-lunch program and sadly many of them don't have enough food at home to eat over long weekends or on a nightly basis.

Fortunately, the Orlando Magic, standout guard Ben Gordon and the Christian Service Center have teamed up to combat the growing number of children who show up to school hungry or are forced to do without food when school isn't in session.

Gordon, Magic Community Ambassadors Nick Anderson and Bo Outlaw and Christian Service Center Executive Director Robert Stuart spent time on Tuesday (Sept. 23) stocking "The Love Pantry" with food and hygiene essentials for local families in need. For Gordon, who signed a free-agent contract with the Magic in July, the "Hoops for Hunger" event was a way for him to integrate himself into the Orlando community and hopefully make a massive difference in the lives of hundreds of school children from the Eatonville area.

"When I heard what the 'Hoops for Hunger' program was about, obviously feeding children who don't have the abundance of food that some of us have, it's a great feeling knowing that we can help them with their education," Gordon said. "Seeing each one of the little ones come up smiling and being able to help them with something like this, it's very rewarding."

"The Love Pantry" is an initiative of the Christian Service Center in partnership with Orange County Public Schools. Since the program's inception in 2011, more than 8,000 family members across 63 different Love Pantries in Orange County schools have been provided food, hygiene items and community resource information. Each participating school is provided with a lockable cabinet supplied with emergency food and basic hygiene items which is replenished on a weekly basis by volunteers. When a student or family is in need, the school's staff member can go to the cabinet to provide enough food for one or several family meals.

"Our long-term goal is to reduce hunger as a barrier to education," Stuart said. "We've come across some remarkable stories of kids who have come through in the clutch as far as school goes because hunger has been removed from the equation. ... The schools do a great job of taking care of the kids, but the goal and the role of the Christian Service Center is to be the connection to the family. We want to make sure that there are resources available for the families."

The Magic are committed to fighting hunger issues in Central Florida and in response they have developed the "Hoops for Hunger" program. As part of the Magic's commitment to this initiative, the team participates in several activities throughout the year including a full staff service project with UnitedHealthcare staff to assemble 13,500 food packs for the Hi-Five Kids Pack Program through UnitedHealthcare's Do Good. Live Well. program, support of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Summer Break Spot program to provide free healthy meals to youth all summer long, and serving Thanksgiving breakfast annually at the Coalition for the Homeless. In addition, Magic Head Coach Jacque Vaughn sponsors the "Blessings in a Backpack" program at Nap Ford Community School, which provides backpacks filled with food for underprivileged children on the weekends. To learn more about the Orlando Magic's Hoops for Hunger program and other community initiatives, visit orlandomagic.com/community.

Stuart has high praise for the Magic's willingness to get involved in social issues in the Central Florida community and the franchise's purpose of making a difference in the lives of those most in need.

"This is right up the Magic's alley because it allows them to give back to their community and impact it in a way that we might not even be around to see years from now," Stuart said. "When you start impacting the life of a five and six-year-old, I hope that I'm around long enough to see the impact that we've had on their lives when they are graduating and going into the workforce. That's the exciting part of all of this where we can work with the Magic and make a difference."

Gordon assisted Anderson, Outlaw and Hungerford Elementary Principal Letecia Foster stock shelves on Tuesday with nonperishable items such as spaghetti and meatballs, macaroni and cheese, cereal, condensed milk, mashed potatoes, soups and canned fruits. Gordon interacted with a dozen or so Hungerford Elementary students, asking each one what sport they play or what their favorite class is in school. Gordon said he's always been active in the community throughout his time in the NBA, and he hopes to take part in several community service events in Orlando so he can impact the lives of as many children as possible.

"Everywhere I go, whether I'm at home (in New York City) or playing for a new team, there's a point where you want to establish yourself in the community and let people get familiar with you on a different level than just basketball," Gordon said. "You want to show them that you are a part of the community and that you want to try and help any way that you can. This is one of the ways for me. I'll certainly be looking for more opportunities like this down the line."

Ben Gordon with a Hungerford Elementary student.