TAMPA, Fla. — As we inch closer to summer, families are preparing for the final school bell to ring. For many people in Tampa Bay, it also means a tougher time getting their family fed.
Before you can tackle hunger, you have to know how big a problem it is. To find that answer, Feeding Tampa Bay partners with USF to research what food insecurity looks like in Tampa Bay.
"We conduct research on very specific topics, to understand the dynamics of food insecurity, and especially how it impacts health, and well-being," Dr. David Himmelgreen said.
Himmelgreen is the director of USF's Center for the Advancement of Food Security and Healthy Communities. His work helps Feeding Tampa Bay reach more people.
The center opened in 2020 at the University of South Florida. Prior to the center's opening, there was not one single entity where all food insecurity research and related activities were all brought together.
"One survey that's used nationally is a USDA hunger food security module, which is administered annually throughout the country," Himmelgreen said. "So that gives us some really good data on year-to-year trends in food security. But there are also other ways as well, including talking to people and hearing about their experiences living with food insecurity."
According to Feeding Tampa Bay, there are nearly 1 million people struggling with food insecurity throughout Tampa Bay. An estimated one in four children are impacted.
"So if you think about a playground, and you've got a ton of kids playing out there, one in four are struggling and don't know if they're getting a healthy meal or where that meal will come from," Shannon Oliviero said.
Oliviero is the external affairs officer for Feeding Tampa Bay. For kids, food insecurity can worsen over the summer months, as schools are closed, no longer providing children with two meals a day.
To fill that gap, 10 Tampa Bay partners with Feeding Tampa Bay for "Cereal for Summer." It's a cereal donation drive to help feed families across Tampa Bay.
"Last year, we were able to provide nearly 2 million meals through cereal for summer," Oliviero said. "That is a huge impact on our community. That's a lot of happy kids across Tampa Bay."
It's thanks to USF's research and data, Feeding Tampa Bay knows the community's needs and can make adjustments to their programs as needed, to best serve the community.
"I think these programs are really important, and they need to be scaled even more," Dr. Himmelgreen said. "I think the issue of food insecurity is not going away."
For details on how to donate to Cereal for Summer or to receive donations, click here.
Malique Rankin is a general assignment reporter with 10 Tampa Bay. You can email her story ideas at mrankin@10tampabay.com and follow her Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.