Feeding South Florida® Announces Winner of Annual “Feed Your Creativity” Student Art Competition

Feeding South Florida® – the leading hunger-relief organization in South Florida – is proud to announce that Liam ValdezLee, an 8th-grade student from Shenandoah Middle Magnet School, was named the winner of its Seventh Annual “Feed Your Creativity” Art Competition.

Elementary, middle and high school students throughout Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties competed for the opportunity to have their artwork displayed on one of Feeding South Florida's semi-trailer truck wrap – a 36-foot moving billboard that travels throughout South Florida. ValdezLee was recognized during a gallery night at Feeding South Florida’s Pembroke Park warehouse on May 14, where all the submitted artwork was exhibited. Following, the semi-trailer truck was revealed during a celebration at Shenandoah Middle Magnet School on May 28. ValdezLee’s artwork will be prominently celebrated and displayed at Feeding South Florida’s Pembroke Park warehouse and recognized on social media.

Feeding South Florida’s mission is to end hunger in South Florida by providing immediate access to nutritious food, leading hunger and poverty advocacy efforts, and transforming lives through innovative programming and education.

The “Feed Your Creativity” art competition is part of Feeding South Florida’s “Summer Hunger Ends Here” initiative, designed to raise awareness and funds necessary to address summer hunger for kids in South Florida. It aims to engage students, their parents, teachers, and schools in a critical issue, while also recognizing the creative talent in the South Florida community.

Summer months are some of the most difficult times for South Florida families because children don't have access to free or reduced-price school meals when school is not in session. In South Florida, more than 300,000 kids rely on free or reduced meals during the school year.

Seeking to help fill the void of school meals, Feeding South Florida is a proud sponsor of the USDA Summer Food Service Program, providing meals to kids at Summer BreakSpots, pop-up pantries in low-income communities. Feeding South Florida also assists families at its Community Caring Centers, food pantries, along with other services at both of its warehouses in Pembroke Park in Broward County and Boynton Beach in Palm Beach County.

The 2026 Feed Your Creativity campaign focused on “Food That Connects,” highlighting the importance of how food connects us all, while raising awareness about summer hunger. The artwork should inspire others, spark meaningful conversations, and help individuals to understand the importance of sharing meals and supporting individuals in our community.

“We are proud to name Liam ValdezLee the winner of our ‘Feed Your Creativity’ Art Competition,” said Paco Vélez, president and CEO of Feeding South Florida. “For seven years strong, this competition has empowered students to give a voice to hunger in South Florida. As we approach summer, our ‘Summer Hunger Ends Here’ Campaign aims to remind us that when school doors close, many children lose access to nutritious meals. This competition has evolved into a special movement where young artists become advocates, using their talents to tell stories that matter and spark conversations that lead to real changes in our community.”