TAMPA, Fla. — We are nearly one week away from Thanksgiving. While it's a joyful time for many, it can also be stressful for the nearly one million people in the Tampa Bay area worried about where their next meal will come from.
On Wednesday afternoon, Feeding Tampa Bay and Winn-Dixie partnered to help ease some of that holiday stress for families. Together, they distributed 500 Thanksgiving meals to Tampa families. Winn Dixie will also partner with Feeding Pinellas to distribute another 500 meals in St. Petersburg in a separate event.
"Everyone gets a turkey, celery, stuffing mix, all of the fixings for a Thanksgiving meal," said Joey Medina, the regional vice president of Winn-Dixie. "Thanksgiving is about gratitude and giving back and we are so honored to partner with Feeding Tampa Bay, as we have for years."
Each bag of groceries is a boost to a family during the holidays.
"This is a great thing, especially during the holidays because a lot of time they're short and need extra, especially for those with big families and kids," said Tampa resident Minerva Morgan.
For those like Antonio Diaz, the food drive is a holiday blessing.
"I'm in between jobs, so this is a helping hand, that's for sure," he said.
Feeding Tampa Bay estimates one in six adults and one in four children are food insecure in the Tampa Bay area.
"Food insecurity is on the rise. It is nearing the point when we were locked down before the pandemic," Shannon Hannon Oliviero with Feeding Tampa Bay said. "People are struggling so much with inflation. We see individuals, we see hardworking families where two parents are working come into our food lines that never imagined themselves there."
On Wednesday, families drove home with full trunks and peace of mind. Some were already eager to pay the generosity forward.
"It puts food on her table and my table, and then probably we will share around to whoever needs it because sometimes we have too much and it's good to share," Diaz said
If you would like to help out Feeding Tampa Bay, there are many ways to do that, including donating online at FeedingTampaBay.com.
"One dollar equals five meals," Hannon Oliviero said. "That's a lot of meals for each dollar, so every dollar counts. You can also volunteer with us or you can share our stories on social. Make sure that somebody you know knows we're here for them if they need us."
If you're seeking food assistance, go to FeedingTampaBay.com and click on the button that says "Find Food" to locate a distribution center near you. Feeding Tampa Bay will be distributing through next Wednesday. While distribution centers will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, its restaurant, Trinity Cafe, will be serving lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.