Food insecurity is an issue all across the country, and West Central Florida is no exception. With a goal of making Tampa Bay hunger-free by 2025, Feeding Tampa Bay is combatting food insecurity “one meal at a time.”
The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was a powerful reminder that hunger can impact anyone. Through its many different resources and programs, Feeding Tampa Bay is prepared to help anyone in need of food assistance at any time.
“Every one of us is susceptible to hunger, sickness, and unemployment,” said Joyce Endaya, Procurement Manager at Feeding Tampa Bay. “We’ve seen CEOs lose their jobs and sit in food lines.”
One great service Feeding Tampa Bay provides is through its mobile grocery locations and food pantries. At these locations, people can find free grab-and-go boxes of fresh groceries and supplies.
“We have the mobile pantry distribution, which is more so just quick,” said Lindsay Betros-Thoennissen, Grant Coordinator at Feeding Tampa Bay. “You’re in your car, you grab food, and then you leave.”
For those looking for a more traditional shopping experience, Feeding Tampa Bay also provides an option to visit their on-site pantry, Publix Community Market.
“We want people to be able to gather the food that they want,” said Thomas Mantz, president and CEO of Feeding Tampa Bay, in a Q&A with the Tampa Bay Times. “So if you were on campus at Feeding Tampa Bay you would go into our Publix Community Market where people can shop just like you and I do elsewhere. They can come in and have a dignified shopping experience.”
Feeding Tampa Bay has a restaurant that provides free hot meals to community members as well. Guests can choose to dine in or take the meals to go.
“If you go to Trinity Cafe where we provide prepared meals, you would come in and sit down at a table with silverware, a plate, with other folks where you could have fellowship and conversation and have a really terrifically-prepared nutritious meal like you or I might get at a restaurant,” said Mantz.
Feeding Tampa Bay provides more than just food. Through the FRESHforce program, those with barriers to employment have the opportunity to complete training programs to obtain jobs in the culinary, warehouse logistics, and truck driving industries.
“Our workforce development program has three different tiers of what, like they could get certified in,” said Betros-Thoennissen. “And that’s a really cool way of how we’re bridging the gap for hunger is providing empowerment for people to get these skills and certifications. So they can be self-sustaining.”
The nonprofit is looking to strengthen its impact even further. According to the Hunger-Free 2025 website, Feeding Tampa Bay has developed a campaign to build a facility that will “meet the entirety of demand for food in our 10-county region.”
To learn how you can help Feeding Tampa Bay eliminate hunger in the community, visit their website.
Producer/Reporter: Kaia Troy
Videographers: Kaia Troy, Kacie Crown
Editor: Kaia Troy
Web Editor: Claire Mercier
