Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger (TBNEH), a tri-county leader in hunger relief, research and program development, is now delivering Meals On Wheels for Kids Tampa Bay (MOW4Kids) in Brandon, Progress Village, Palm River and Riverview in Hillsborough County. MOW4Kids delivers lunchtime meals to children who depend on school meals and are at home when school is out of session or when learning remotely. Deliveries take place out of ECHO in Riverview.
The Network’s innovative MOW4Kids program, the first program of its kind, launched March 2020. MOW4Kids, was developed to serve children, 18 years or younger, with meals delivered to their home by volunteers when school is out of session or when learning remotely. MOW4Kids is an alternative option for kids that are not able to access meal distribution sites; and/or 2) kids that have difficulty accessing food pantries. The program currently serves areas throughout Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas Counties.
Volunteers are needed each week to help pack boxes of food from ECHO in Riverview. Volunteers with level 2 background checks are needed to help deliver Meals On Wheels for Kids on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays starting at 10 a.m. Volunteers drive their own vehicles to deliver shelf stable boxes of food and cold meal packs to children and families. Routes take about 60 minutes to complete.
At the core of this Meals On Wheels program is nutritious food delivered to the homes of children and their families. The program provides meals and shelf-stable groceries, including produce, as resources allow. Children may experience an increase in overall nutrition, food security and feelings of social connectedness from volunteers stopping by.
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 and expand the amount of nutritious food available. TBNEH has over 350 members and serves a tri-county area—Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas Counties. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency and relies on its community for support.
To receive free meals delivered to your home, visit www.mow4kids.org or call 344-5837. To sign up to volunteer, please visit https://networktoendhunger.org/volunteer/.
The Network is currently accepting donations at www.networktoendhunger.org to help support the MOW4Kids program. A donation of just $20 will provide a week of Meals On Wheels for Kids deliveries to children in need.
