BRANDON, Fla. — More households across the state of Florida are in poverty, according to the U.S. Census, from 2022 to 2023.

One business owner in Brandon came up with the idea of a free pharmacy called Rombool Charitable Pharmacy. It started in April, providing low-income residents with free medication and free delivery across the state.

The CEO of Rombool Charitable Pharmacy said he hopes to help 10 thousand patients per month in the coming year.

“The basis behind Rombool Charitable Pharmacy is to help Floridians in need statewide with free medications and free shipping to their door. There’s a big need within our state and we wanted to make it easy for families to qualify. For example, (for) a family of four, the eligibility is an income of $93,600 a year,” he said.

He also said because of that, many people cannot afford their medicine.

“The need is out there — people cannot just afford their medication. It’s just too expensive these days,” he said. “It could be the insurance company owning and running a pharmacy. You see it day in and day out. It could be the copay. Why is someone’s copay $80 when the medication cost is $2?”

One new client is Edwin Rivera, who says why he needs this medication and how getting free delivery helps.

Watering plants might seem like a chore, but for Edwin Rivera, it’s an act of love.

“The energy they produce, I love doing it, and I love it because my mom loves it,” he said.

Gardening has been passed down in his family through generations.

“Grandma used to love planting, and she used to love talking to them and building a relationship with the plant. People used to say she’s crazy, but now I’m saying I’m crazy,” Rivera said.

That’s why Rivera’s front yard is full of color, because every plant reminds him of his family.

But a couple of years ago, life wasn’t so colorful. Rivera had to quit his job to take care of his parents, leaving him with no income.

“My mom is a hypochondriac and a blood person and can hardly walk, and my dad has a condition — Parkinson’s disease, with complications with Alzheimer’s, and they are both 84 years old,” he said.

Rivera now works a couple of days a week. He estimates he makes less than $17,000 a year, which is why he is budgeting his expenses. He said he’s not sure how he will afford necessities like his medication, that costs about $100 a month.

“I have blood pressure medicine and gout medicine I need to take daily,” Rivera said.

But he recently found a way to get his medication for free at the Roombal Charitable Pharmacy.

“It’s extremely beneficial, so I don’t have to take any money away from them,” he said.

The pharmacy provides 25 different medications for free to low-income families in Florida. To qualify, an individual or family’s income must be at or below three times the federal poverty limit. That’s approximately $45,000 for a single person — and slightly more for families.

“It feels good, especially when you don’t have to pay out of pocket,” Rivera said. “It’s very meaningful.”

Rivera hopes others will benefit from the free medications.

“It’s going to be helpful. The economy is so hard right now that people can’t even afford medications,” he said.

The service helps him care for himself and helps him spend more time at home caring for his parents.

“When it bursts with flowers coming out, it fills me with joy,” Rivera said.

The ribbon cutting for the pharmacy will be on May 23 at 10:30 a.m. at 401 South Parsons Ave. Suite C-1 in Brandon.