TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa General Hospital is tackling food insecurity for the east Tampa community. Thanks to a partnership with the City of Tampa, a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the opening of its Tampa Well Community Garden and Food Pharmacy was held Monday.

What You Need To Know

  • The new TampaWell Community Garden and Food Pharmacy will serve residents with diabetes, hypertension and obesity

  • It was established with the partnership with the city of Tampa

  • Ovetta and Willie Williams live near the garden and say they will use it to learn about the foods beneficial for them as they get older

Officials say the goal of the garden and food pharmacy is to help patients with diabetes, hypertension and obesity. 

Ovetta Williams and her husband Willie Williams Jr. say they understand the importance of eating a healthy meal and the negative effects that come with not doing so.

“Hypertension, diabetes and obesity, which are three main diseases that a lot of people in this area are getting,” Ovetta said.

They’ve lived in east Tampa for more than 20 years, and in that time, they say something like this was a need in their community.

Especially since Willie says his health is what he’s paying attention to.

“I have Type 2 diabetes,” he said. “Not too bad, but I need to work on it, and I think it’s going to help me a lot to come get information.”

Aside from staying active, he said staying healthy through what he eats is also important. He says the garden is a resource he’ll be using often.

But the garden isn’t the only tool available.

Just a few feet over, there’s also a food pharmacy where patients at Tampa General’s Health Park can get a referral to obtain a six-month prescription to receive food every week.

It’s something Ovetta says she’ll take advantage of, especially as she gets older.

“A lot of times we cannot eat a lot of fast food and not go out and eat those types of foods, because things are in those types of foods that are not as healthy,” she said.

For Ovetta and Willie, they say getting on track to a healthier lifestyle is a journey they’re taking together.

“We’ll be able to come here to learn how to grow vegetables in our backyard and we’ll be able to tell other people about this,” Willie said.

Tampa General Hospital will also be adding an educational pavilion in its Phase 2 of construction, to further strengthen its purpose that “food is medicine.”

The garden is open to everyone, and anyone wanting to volunteer can visit Tampa General Hospital’s Health P,ark located at 5802 North 30th St.