By Tamas Mondovics
Mosaic Company and Feeding America Tampa Bay (FATB) have once again joined forces to help parents facing the challenges of providing daily meals for their children make this year’s winter break and holiday season a bit more festive.
With a donation of $13,000 by Mosaic to FATB, 700 students who attend Gibsonton Elementary School took home a special food box that included all the makings of a holiday dinner including ham, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green beans, sweet potatoes, stuffing and gravy.
“Without the continued assistance of Mosaic and Feeding America Tampa Bay, many of our families would go without a nutritious meal during the holiday season and every weekend of the year,” said Amber Statham, principal at Gibsonton Elementary School. “Mosaic has been our business partner for more than 20 years, and Mosaic employees are part of the Gibsonton family. I cannot thank them enough for what they do for our school and our kids.”
As it has been the case in years past, nearly two dozen Mosaic employees, along with FATB staff, volunteered to distribute the food to students and their families at the school at 7723 Gibsonton Dr.
According to FTBA officials, with a per capita household income of just over $20,000, 90 percent of the Gibsonton area’s families are considered economically disadvantaged.
Close to 30 percent of the school’s students don’t speak English at home, posing another challenge.
“By providing this holiday meal to our neighbors at Gibsonton Elementary School, Mosaic is further reinforcing its mission to help the world grow the food it needs,” said Gary N. “Bo” Davis, senior vice president of phosphate operations at The Mosaic Company. “Our partnership with the school and Feeding America Tampa Bay is an effort to overcome hunger at a grassroots level and will hopefully make the holidays a little brighter for these families who struggle to put food on the table all year long.”
It is noteworthy that Mosaic, FATB and Kiwanis also work together to distribute backpacks of food each Friday to students to take home to ensure they have meals each weekend.
The Mosaic Company and The Mosaic Company Foundation make investments in and partner with best-of-class leaders in the focus areas of food, water and local community investments.
Feeding America Tampa Bay was founded in 1982, and is the largest food rescue and distribution organization in the community, serving a food-insecure population of more than 700,000 people in a 10-county area. Visit www.FeedingAmericaTampaBay.org.
More information about Mosaic is available at www.mosaicco.com/Florida.
