TAMPA, Fla. — Many children in the Tampa Bay area are going to school online due to the COVID-19 pandemic and because of this, some may not have the same access to nutritious meals as they once did.
With its hallmark program, Meals on Wheels for Kids, Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger is looking to fill any missing gaps in food access for children in Tampa, specifically those living in zip code 33613.
The program, which began Oct. 19, will deliver food to children who attend school from home out of Mort Elementary School Mondays from 10 a.m. to noon. Volunteers will meet at the elementary school and board school buses before going out to deliver shelf-stable food boxes and cold meal packs to students and families who live in Tampa zip code 33613.
Meals on Wheels for Kids was launched this past March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and currently serves Clearwater and St. Petersburg in Pinellas County, Wimauma in South Hillsborough County, Dade City in Pasco County and now Tampa in North Hillsborough County.
MOW4Kids is described as an alternative option for kids, 18 years or younger, who don't have access to meal distribution sites in their county, and/or kids who have difficulty accessing open food pantries.
Volunteers and volunteer drivers are needed to help deliver meals on Mondays from Mort Elementary School. TBNEH says routes take about an hour to complete. You can sign up to volunteer here.
You can also donate to help support MOW4Kids here. TBNEH says a $20 donation provides a week of deliveries for the program.
For more information, visit the program's website or call 813-344-5837.
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