With the holiday season here, food banks across the greater Tampa Bay region have started holiday food drives along with regular drives.
This year has placed added strain on food pantries due to the coronavirus pandemic as many pantries have been collecting and distributing food more regularly due to food insecurity.
The holiday season is a time of increased demand for the services of food banks and other charitable organizations and many are calling for donations of non-perishables.
Metropolitan Ministries has asked for food donations, stating that it is short on food donations for the upcoming season.
It is based in downtown Tampa, with other locations across the area, and serves 75,000 meals each month in Tampa Bay and at partner sites around Hillsborough, Pasco, Polk, and Pinellas counties.
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During Thanksgiving and Christmas, Metropolitan Ministries serves more than 22,000 families in need with holiday meals.
The Salvation Army will be distributing meals through a grab-and-go boxes, in accordance to social distancing protocols, at various locations across Tampa Bay.
Feeding Tampa Bay is currently distributing two million meals a week, which is double that of what they were doing at this time last year. It also has locations across the greater Tampa Bay region where folks can accept donations, as well as 10 mega pantries and 150 mobile food pantries.
Shannon Hannon-Oliviero, the Feeding Tampa Bay's spokeswoman, said the organization has seen a consistent increased need for shelf-stable items and warm meals throughout the pandemic.
"We consistently say hunger doesn't recognize a holiday. So we don't see a spike in need. What we do see is an overwhelming rise in compassion; those that want to help, our volunteerism, people want to donate, people want to take care of those in need during the holiday season."
Here are food banks across Tampa Bay that are accepting donations (click the links for more details):
Tampa:
- ICNA Relief Food Pantry through the Islamic Society of Tampa Bay: 7326 E. Sligh Ave. Tampa 33610
- Community Food Pantry: 13115 S. Village Drive, Tampa, 33618
- Echo Food Pantry
- St. Mark’s Episcopal Church: 1924 Cross Creek Blvd., Tampa, 33647
Sarasota:
- All Faiths Food Bank: 8171 Blaikie Ct., Sarasota, 34240
- Food Bank of Manatee (affiliated with Meals on Wheels): 811 23rd Avenue E. , Bradenton, 34208
- Hunger’s End Inc.: 1802 14th St. W, Bradenton, 34205
- St. Paul Lutheran Church: 2256 Bahia Vista St., Sarasota, 34239
- Harvest Tabernacle: 3650 17th St., Sarasota, 34235
St. Petersburg / Clearwater:
- St. Vincent de Paul: 384 15th St. N, St. Petersburg, 33755
- Homeless Empowerment Project: 1120 N Betty Lane, Clearwater, 33755
- GCJFS Family Support Services: 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, 33760
- Rcs Food Bank: 700 Druid Rd., Clearwater, 33756
Are you an organization offering help, or do you know of any places providing assistance? Let us know by emailing news@wusf.org
