TAMPA, Fla. — You should keep your hurricane supplies from Dorian through Nov. 30, but if you're looking to unload them, don't return them to the store!
Donate your canned foods, dry goods and bottled water to those who could use it the most.
Many families in the Tampa Bay area can't afford to stockpile extra food throughout hurricane season, so Metropolitan Ministries helps to fill the gaps. Christine Long, Chief Programs Officer, says more than 100 families used the food pantry in the weeks before Hurricane Dorian's approach to stock up.
After Hurricanes Maria and Irma, the non-profit saw a spike in the number of people in need because many families who fled Puerto Rico and other devastated areas needed help while staying with family in the Tampa Bay Area. The organization expects the same as some residents of the Bahamas may come to stay with family in the Tampa Bay area in the coming weeks.
Metropolitan Ministries will collect your donations to feed hungry families in the Tampa Bay Area. Late summer is prime preparation time for the organization's holiday plans. They help more than 20,000 families during the holiday season.
You can donate items like non-perishable canned vegetables, fruit, pasta, rice and canned meats. Items like bottled water and juices are also in demand.
If you're in need or want to donate, you can learn more here.
What other people are reading right now:
- Hurricane Dorian finally begins to move away from Grand Bahama
- Live blog: The latest, need-to-know information on Hurricane Dorian
- Before-and-after photos show how badly Hurricane Dorian flooded the Bahamas
- Police: 26 kilos of cocaine wash up on Florida beach during Hurricane Dorian
- Hurricane chaser shares remarkable story of riding out Dorian in Bahamas
FREE 10NEWS APP:
►Stay In the Know! Sign up for the Brightside Blend Newsletter