The Feeding Tampa Bay mobile pantry is available once a month at the Hernando County Y.
In partnership between the Hernando County YMCA and Feeding Tampa Bay, a food pantry to feed families has been going strong for two years now.
“Our partnership with Feeding Tampa Bay started after Hurricane Irma when Hernando County was identified as part of their post-disaster response plan. It started as a six-month temporary endeavor but after the first few months, Feeding Tampa Bay saw that the need in the local area was present,” says Amber Slusser, Hernando County Y Executive Director.
Amber says when COVID-19 started to affect the communities on a larger scale with the state shutdown, they were concerned about the impact on the pantry.
“Food insecurity had already been an issue that was being faced in parts of our community and we were worried how the situation was going to be further compounded,” she says. “Feeding Tampa Bay did a phenomenal job transitioning the food pantry to a mobile pantry and we have been able to continue to be a site to provide that since April 2020. While it does not solve all of the food insecurities that an individual and/or family may experience during the month, it is an opportunity to ease the burden a little bit.”
Currently, the food distribution takes place the 1st Thursday of the month from 4-5:30 pm.
“The awesome thing is that it is a collaborative effort that we can have for the community,” Amber says. “it is a partnership that benefits the community at large.”