TAMPA, Fla. -- Feeding Tampa Bay's president and CEO said the non-profit has seen a 400 percent increase in requests for assistance since people began feeling the economic impact of COVID-19 about ten weeks ago.
What You Need To Know
- Feeding Tampa Bay says it's seen a 400 percent increase in requests for assistance
- Surveys show 70 percent of those standing in food lines have never done so before
- Bradenton mega food pantry marked first day Tuesday
- Feeding Tampa Bay
"A lot of the folks who need our food don't know we're here," said Feeding Tampa Bay President and CEO Thomas Mantz. "We've done some survey work that suggests some 70 percent of the folks that come into our food lines now have never been in one before."
The non-profit marked the first day of its new mega food pantry at the State College of Florida in Bradenton Tuesday. Mantz said a distribution site like this is meant to get a large amount of food into the community at one time and to raise awareness that help is available.
Mantz said there are typically around 4,000 food insecure individuals in Manatee County, but that number has shot up to 62,000.
It's a number he doesn't expect to subside anytime soon since it can take awhile to bounce back from a job loss, even with help from stimulus checks or unemployment.
"That doesn't remotely cover the whole of your expenses. So, now you're running up credit card debt. You're getting behind on your bills. That will take typically six months to a year for folks to recover," said Mantz.
Mantz said Feeding Tampa Bay is prepared to run the Bradenton mega pantry site once a week for the next 12-18 months. This week, he said they were prepared to send 1,000 people home with about $75 in groceries, including no-touch produce, milk, shelf-stable items, and snacks.
"We've never met anyone that gets up in the morning and says, 'Hey, I want to go get in a food line.' People that are in that line over there are there because they have to and they are challenged, and our job is to be there for them," Mantz said.
The mega pantry will be open every Tuesday beginning at 3:30. Mantz said anyone in need is welcome -- no questions asked. The organization is also in need of volunteers. To learn more about how to access services or how to help, visit:
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