TAMPA, Fla. — On this Giving Tuesday, it's a chance to take a break from all the shopping and holiday hustle to give back to others if you can.
Feeding Tampa Bay served 95 million meals last year in just the 10-county West Central Florida area and that number has only gone up this year.
In just the last two weeks it served about 5 million meals and anticipates needing about 7.5 million meals through the rest of the holidays.
Volunteers here work many hours all year long, but especially during the holidays. This Thanksgiving they helped feed more people than ever.
With the high price of food, gas and rent and people still recovering from and living with this pandemic, Chief Development Officer Kelly Sims says they're seeing more people and families who have never asked for or needed assistance in the past.
Today is the perfect chance for you to help and make it mean more than ever. And Sims says the best part is your donation stays right here in our area.
"Feeding Tampa Bay serves 10 counties in the West Central Florida area. Giving Tuesday is such a great opportunity for folks to give and have their donation expanded by a variety of matches during that holiday," Sims says.
It's super easy to to just go online and make a monetary donation, but if you can't afford to do that, there are so many opportunities to help by volunteering your time at the warehouse or during food pick ups. You can also simply donate food items as well. Click here to find out how to do that.