Feeding Tampa Bay has delivered 1 billion meals since opening in 1982. Last year, they handed out 100 million meals as costs keep climbing for working families across the region. Research from the Tampa Bay Partnership reveals 46% of households with jobs can’t cover basic expenses.
Thomas Mantz, president and CEO of Feeding Tampa Bay, told Tampa Bay 28 reporter Michael Paluska that most people asking for help have jobs and pay taxes. “We would say that they are the backbone of our community. They’re folks that are doing an honest day’s labor, hoping for an honest day’s wage. The challenge is the honest day’s wage doesn’t pay enough anymore,” Mantz said.
Bemetra Simmons, president and CEO of the Tampa Bay Partnership, said the coalition uses data to strengthen the region. “This affordability issue is not just for people from, you know, lower-income, economically disadvantaged communities. We’re seeing this affordability issue creep and affect all different types of families, first responders, early early education leaders, school teachers, firefighters — you name it,” Simmons said.
Simmons rejected the idea that things are hopeless. “I don’t accept the premise that it’s doom and gloom. I actually think that knowing where we are is a good thing. It’s like watching game film, right? You don’t watch game film to see what you did right in a basketball game or sporting event. You watch it to see what you could tweak, and this is an opportunity for us to tweak and get better,” Simmons said.
Volunteer Pat Hutson shared a story about a senior citizen who had been living in her car. “It made me very sad that in the United States, we have to have that situation. You know, she’s a woman who’s worked all her life, but to get an apartment, she would have had to have first month’s rent and last month’s deposit. It’s a lot of money,” Hutson said.
Linda Dye attended a back-to-school event hosted by the organization with her 7-year-old daughter, Delilah. The mother of two received backpacks and activity supplies that helped “tremendously.”
Tampa Bay 28 and Achieva Credit Union have partnered with the organization for the Pack the Pantries food drive to stock local school pantries for families in need. Donations and volunteer sign-ups are now being accepted.