CLEARWATER, Fla. — The pandemic has been financially tough on a lot of people.
One woman laid off during this time is now giving back to those struggling to put food on the table.
Dayna Barkley was laid off from her IT job and was already working toward getting her real estate license.
Now, she's started a food drive to help out the community.
She's put boxes in local businesses and is asking all of us to drop off food items that she'll be donating to RCS Pinellas.
"We need to help our neighbors, help our friends because we don't know what's going on behind closed doors. And, even though people put on a good front, it's a struggle for everybody and it's dragging on and it's not getting better and I just think showing a little kindness and compassion to people will just help us get through," Barkley told 10 Tampa Bay.
RCS Pinellas feeds 60,000 people a year and gives out more than 6 million pounds of food.
It is critically low in the areas of food that Dayna is collecting.
Things like canned soups, canned meats, canned vegetables and beans and cereals.
You can drop off donations July 21 through Aug. 3 at these businesses:
- Sunshine Nails: 1591 S Highland Ave, Clearwater, FL 33756
- Crabby Bills Fish Camp: 10316 Roosevelt Blvd N, St. Petersburg, FL 33716
- Happy Smiles: 2235 Nursery Rd (Lobby), Clearwater, FL 33764
- House to Home 920 McMullen Booth Rd, Clearwater, FL 33759
- Tea House 14100 US Hwy 19 N Clearwater FL 33764
‘With the staggering loss of jobs and income in Pinellas County due to the COVID-19 pandemic, families have the extreme traumas of not being able to provide for their households or put food on their tables. Within the last few months, we’ve seen a 100 percent increase in first-time guests to the RCS Food Bank. With many local businesses closing down for good, many working individuals and seniors have become strapped for cash as they’ve been furloughed or laid off.
"RCS has taken a significant hit and have felt the effects from this pandemic, first from panic buying and hoarding, then from decreased donations. In the initial weeks of the pandemic, panic buying kept store shelves low, meaning there were fewer surplus items to donate to local food pantries. Donations from our retail partners were down significantly at 80 percent of pre-Coronavirus numbers. This caused our food bank to purchase more food and supplies to meet needs. Financial donations dropped a bit, as people became concerned about the financial impacts,’ RCS said in a statement to 10 Tampa Bay.
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