Families in the Brandon area were able to celebrate Thanksgiving with full bellies thanks to a local partnership.
Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger (TBNEH), a tri-county leader in hunger relief, research and program development, delivered ‘Holidays On Wheels’ to transportation-disadvantaged and homebound families with children last month.
Holidays On Wheels was developed, in partnership with Metropolitan Ministries, to ensure that every family has a nutritious and joyous holiday celebration.
“I am so thankful this program is available to people like me. I lost my job because of COVID and we have been struggling,” said Rita, Holidays On Wheels head of household. “I have three young children and after losing my job I had to give up my car, and keeping our cabinets full has been hard enough. And with the holidays coming, I wasn’t sure how I was going to give my family Thanksgiving. Thank you for helping us during this difficult time. You are a blessing.”
TBNEH utilized 150 volunteers to deliver turkeys and meal ingredients for Thanksgiving to 600 families, including over 3,000 individuals, that are homebound or do not have access to a working or reliable vehicle. For those families that have their own transportation, Metropolitan Ministries hosted its annual drive-through Holiday Tent.
“Together, TBNEH and Metropolitan Ministries will work together to serve the entire community with food for the holidays in the tri-county area,” said Lauren Vance, director of programs and communications with TBNEH.
Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger is committed to ending hunger in Tampa Bay by bringing people together to find solutions that eliminate barriers, increase access and knowledge as well as expand the amount of nutritious food available. It has over 350 members and serves the tri-county area of Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas Counties. TBNEH is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency and relies on its community for support.
The network is currently accepting donations at www.networktoendhunger.org. For more information, call 344-5837.
As a local, independent nonprofit, Metropolitan Ministries has provided services that alleviate suffering, promote dignity and instill self-sufficiency for at-risk and homeless families in Tampa Bay since 1972. Its vision is to be America’s most effective and innovative caregiver for those in need.
Metropolitan Ministries’ main campus is located at 2002 N. Florida Ave. in Tampa. For more information, visit www.metromin.org.
