Feeding America Tampa Bay's Direct 'Mobile Pantry' Distribution evolved as a response to increasing need for food assistance. Soaring unemployment rates in Florida have put staggering numbers of people in lines at soup kitchens, food pantries and shelters. Our network of member agencies simply do not have the funding or the physical capacity to procure, transport and store adequate amounts of nutritious food to meet the dramatically increasing need.
One solution is Mobile Pantry distributions. In conjunction with one of our member agencies, the food bank schedules a date and time to bring truckloads of food directly to a neighborhood in need. The agency pre-selects individuals and families to receive a supply of groceries. There is an air of excitement as the Feeding America Tampa Bay refrigerated trucks arrive on-site, laden with pre-packaged bags of shelf-stable items along with gallons of milk and 100% juices, meats, fresh produce and tables full of bread and bakery items. The pre-qualified recipients progress through a line and are given a variety of nourishing groceries - enough to provide one meal per day for a family of four for one week.
Please contact the Food Bank's Agency Relations Coordinator, Carl Caples, 813.254.1190 ext. 209 for more information. He can talk to you about scheduling a Mobile Pantry in your neighborhood, alert you to upcoming distributions, or discuss ways that you can help financially or as a Mobile Pantry volunteer.
