The Impact of Volunteers!
In 2020 over 19,400 volunteer hours were served by over 1,000 volunteers to make the mission of Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee come to life! The value of those contributed volunteer hours is nearly $500,000! Wow! The impact our volunteers have is truly amazing! Volunteers delivered meals, sorted food, bagged fresh produce, made phone calls, wrote notecards, knitted blankets, held food drives, wrapped shoeboxes, advocated for our mission, helped with administrative work, mobilized friends to donate, and distributed food in the shining sun and pouring rain! All to FEED Manatee! Thank you!
We are grateful to the hundreds of volunteers who regularly contribute to the success of our organization. Through the many impacts of the global pandemic, we have continually adjusted our operations for the safety of our clients, volunteers, and staff. We saw many new volunteers answer the call to meet the rising needs in the community over the last year. For those who have served, we sincerely thank you. We are also pleased to be able to welcome back volunteers over the age of 65 who have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine with a completed wait period of at least 14 days following injection of the second dose. More information on volunteering can be found by clicking here.
Thank you to everyone who has helped…we are grateful!
Together, #WeFeedManatee
Tropical Nights 2021: A Royal Affair
Important Update
Our Tropical Nights event, originally planned as a virtual event experience next month, will be postponed until March 26, 2022. For 27 years, Tropical Nights has been a fun, brilliant event—complete with dancing, live music, and amazing food. In the spirit of wanting to gather together to celebrate our critical mission, we look forward to an in-person event in 2022.
Mark your calendars now for Tropical Nights 2022: A Royal Affair, Saturday, March 26, 2022.
Even though the event itself has been postponed, the 2021 Tropical Nights Online Auction will continue as planned! Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks about this fun way to show your support of our mission!
If you have an item to donate to our online auction, it’s not too late! Please contact Kelly S., Development Administrator, by clicking here.
DONOR SPOTLIGHT
FORE! A big thank you goes to the women of the Gulf Coast Women’s Golf Association of Lakewood Ranch. They collected donations of food and funds at their 9th Hole Golf Tournament at Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club.
To schedule your food drive, call 941-747-4655 today or click here!
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
As Jonathan was preparing to start his sophomore year in high school, he and his mom Hilary signed up to volunteer for our Home-delivered Meals program. She would drive, he would navigate and greet the clients, and together, they would bring warmth, compassion, and nourishment to the clients on their Friday route. Wanting her son to have the experience of helping people from all different walks of life, their deliveries together each week felt like an enriching adventure! Being a meal-delivery driver offers volunteers the opportunity to get to know the clients. Hilary said, “I feel a responsibility to check in on them and make sure they are well—especially during the pandemic.” Jonathan is back at school now, but Hilary has kept up with the deliveries each week. “My job as a volunteer is to feed the clients, but it is definitely my soul that is being nourished,” she added.
Do you want to volunteer like Jonathan and Hilary? Click Here.
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
It’s not often that such an impact can be felt from a high school student, but Cam C. is no ordinary teenager. A junior at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Cam says he was influenced by his parents’ selfless nature to embark on a mission to help #FeedManatee in the midst of the global pandemic. Reaching out to friends, family, and other contacts to help advance the mission of Meals on Wheels PLUS, he was able to find an anonymous sponsor to match up to $5,000 in donations for his “Love Thy Neighbor campaign” held in February, which raised over $12,000 to feed those in need in our community!
So why did Cam start this project? Thanksgiving and Christmas are traditionally big food drive times. But, as Cam stated, “people struggle all throughout the year.” Cam feels he has a blessed life and is thankful he has been equipped with the tools to succeed. “I am a selfless person and want to give back to my community.”
Cam aspires to play football for an Ivy League school and has had interest from his top choices. We have no doubts after meeting with Cam, that he will accomplish and exceed his goals!
If you are interested in mobilizing your friends, family, or colleagues in support of our mission, we’d love to hear from you! Call 941-747-4655 to get started today!
