TAMPA, Fla. — The holiday season has officially arrived. This year will feel a lot different for a lot of families, especially those who lost their jobs during the pandemic and are now worried about how they will put food on the table.
Several local non-profit organizations are working around the clock to feed people not just during the holiday season, but year-round.
Matt Spence, who is the chief program officer at Feeding Tampa Bay, said since the pandemic about 70 percent of the people his organization serves are new to food assistance programs.
"The day after Thanksgiving, they still need food assistance, and the next week, they still need our support," he said.
Most non-profit organizations that provide hot meals throughout the Tampa Bay area have seen an increase in senior citizens and families with children lining up for help.
Michael Raposa, the CEO of St. Vincent de Paul St. Petersburg, said he’s also seeing an influx of people who work in the service industry.
"Let's face it, Tampa Bay is a tourist market. And when you have hotels and restaurants only at 25 or 50 percent, all of those people are still out of work and scrambling to make ends meet," Raposa said.
In Pasco County, The Volunteer Way is also doing its part to feed families in need during the holiday season and throughout the year. Under normal circumstances, the non-profit would serve meals on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas, but the pandemic put those plans on hold.
"We don't have the capacity to sanitize the air,” said Alice Delgardo, who is the CEO of the organization.
"It's a small venue, to begin with. For the number of people that come through the soup kitchen, we couldn't possibly move and be open into the night trying to feed people in groups,” she said.
With the help of volunteers, non-profits throughout the area are hosting drive-thru events where people can pick up their holiday meals safely. However, most organizations need helping hands year-round.
"This is not an issue that goes away the day after Thanksgiving or the day after Christmas,” Spence said.
"There are well over a million and a half residents of the Tampa Bay area who are in need of food assistance, and that won't be any different at the end of January. It's great for you to want to volunteer on Thanksgiving Day or on Christmas morning, but really we could use your help the next day and the day after that," he said.
If you have the means or the time to lend a hand, there are a few things you can do to help. For example, volunteering at a local food bank, make a charitable donation or help spread awareness about food insecurities by becoming an advocate.
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