“Remember, we already look after a million people a year. Now it’s another half million in our care,” Feeding Tampa Bay said.

TAMPA, Fla. — “The need for help has reached, frankly, a level we’ve never seen before,” said Metropolitan Ministries, highlighting the growing strain on food pantries across Tampa Bay.

With SNAP benefits shrinking due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, local pantries are struggling to keep up, serving families who are already running low on resources.

“Remember, we already look after a million people a year. Now it’s another half million in our care,” said the CEO of Feeding Tampa Bay.

And as the holiday season arrives, the pressure is only increasing.

“Our Tampa Thanksgiving tent has reached its capacity,” said Metropolitan Ministries.

Both Feeding Tampa Bay and Metropolitan Ministries, organizations that feed thousands of families year-round, say demand is skyrocketing.

“Our metro markets have seen a remarkable 206 percent increase in families seeking assistance compared to last year. We’ve gone from serving 193 families a week to 765 families a week,” Metropolitan Ministries said.

Despite the growing need, these organizations are pushing forward.

“We wanna make sure we can provide relief to a family’s budget as much as we can,” said Feeding Tampa Bay. Shelves are being restocked regularly, and donations continue to come in.

The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) reminds SNAP recipients that any benefits already on their card are still active. 

To avoid delays when funding resumes, recipients should keep up with all required work activities. And if you’ve already applied or renewed your benefits, do not reapply, as that will only slow down the process.

For food pantries, the mission doesn’t stop.

“In organizations like ours, we go as far as the community takes us… We work from a mindset of we can, we will, and we do,” said Feeding Tampa Bay.

With the holiday season just days away, pantries across Tampa Bay are asking for help from the community. They are seeking frozen turkeys, Thanksgiving sides, gift cards, and toys for children ages 4 to 17.