According to Feeding Tampa Bay, many of our neighbors are not just food insecure, they are nutrition insecure, meaning that the availability and affordability of foods that promote well-being and prevent or treat disease are not accessible to them. Without access, their long-term health hangs in the balance.
Our Lady’s Pantry provides fresh fruits and vegetables and other nutrient-rich foods to our clients every Saturday morning between 7:30 and 10:30 a.m.
Pantry volunteers are driving almost every day of the week picking up food from all over the county. Food is purchased from Feeding Tampa Bay and is donated by ALDI, Big Lots, Costco, Panera, Publix, Sam’s Club, Save A Lot, Winn-Dixie and others.
“We are wearing our two trucks out,” said Director Tom Bullaro. “Our oldest truck is a 2006 model with more than 260,000 miles and is expensive to maintain.”
“We need a new refrigerated truck. Both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Feeding Tampa Bay require that food be transported in a refrigerated truck, which is why a new truck is so expensive. We are looking at about $99,000,” he added.
According to Bullaro, the pantry already has $30,000 thanks to the generosity of the community and a number of clubs and philanthropic organizations—so roughly $70,000 to go.
Bullaro asks for a few folks to come forward and help write grants for the balance of these monies. He will meet with you to share all the information you need to write these grants, so no worries, you won’t be alone. Applications must be submitted electronically, however, so you do need to be comfortable working on a computer.
“If you have any interest in writing grants for us and wish to learn more, please email me at tom@ourladyspantry.com,” said Bullaro. “Please include your email address and phone number in your message. We shall schedule a meeting later this month to answer your questions and give you all the information you need. Thanks so much for considering.”
Our Lady’s Pantry is located just south of Sun City Center Blvd. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Migrant Mission, located at 16650 S. U.S. Hwy. 301 in Wimauma. To learn more about Our Lady’s Pantry, please visit www.ourladyspantry.com.
