The United Food Bank of Plant City (UFBPC) provides assistance to a wide-ranging area. This includes Plant City, Valrico, Seffner, Dover, Sydney, Lithia, Thonotosassa, Riverview and Brandon.
UFBPC provides supplemental food assistance to those in need every two weeks. Anyone who lives in its service area is eligible for assistance.
According to Mary Heysek, executive director for UFBPC, “We provide supplemental food assistance so that families can make ends meet, and a child can continue to play soccer.” In other words, UFBPC believes that families should not suffer because they have a setback and need some assistance.
If you need assistance, you just have to show some form of identification and fill out a simple application. Once a person or family is registered, they only need to show their ID the next time.
If someone does not have an ID, they will be given food and information on what is needed to get registered.
Food is provided per household. The quantity and the type depend on the donations UFBPC receives. A standard food distribution includes meat, produce, canned goods, drinks, bakery items and assorted nonperishables.
What makes UFBPC unique is that in addition to bimonthly food assistance, it offers other programs to help the community, including Feeding Our Legacy, which is aimed at alleviating hunger among low-income seniors.
It provides approximately 650 weekend bags to students who are referred by area school social workers; it also offers the bags over spring break and the Christmas holiday break.
For students who attend Hillsborough Community College, UFBPC has a College Hunger program. This is good for any student regardless of age or the campus they attend. All they need to do is show their HCC ID.
Another thing UFBPC offers is Mobile Pantry days, which occur on one Wednesday a month from 8-9:30 a.m. This is offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. The next Mobile Pantry is on Wednesday, March 29.
UFBPC also has a Pink Pantry (feminine products), Diaper and Formula Pantry and assistance for pets when it has the items available.
According to Gayle Tindle, operations manager for UFBPC, “At UFBPC, we believe it takes a community to feed a community.”
UFBPC is open for food pickup on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 12 Noon-3:30 p.m. On Tuesday, it is open from 12 Noon-5 p.m.
UFBPC is located at 702 E. Alsobrook St., Ste. H in Plant City. For more information, please visit www.ufbpc.org or call 813-764-0625.
