BUY TICKETS TO EMPTY BOWLS 2021
Please join us as to help feed those in need in Manatee County! We are proudly celebrating the 21st Anniversary of our annual Empty Bowls Fundraiser. Guests will enjoy this symbolic meal of soup and bread, demonstrating that together, we can fill the bowls of our neighbors in need.
Empty Bowls will be held on Thursday, November 4, 2021, at Manatee Performing Arts Center (MPAC) and on Friday, November 5, 2021, at Main Street in Lakewood Ranch (LWR).
Tickets are available to show your support for Meals on Wheels PLUS and The Food Bank of Manatee and help us #FEEDMANATEE!
WE NEED FILLED SHOEBOXES FOR THIS YEAR’S HOLIDAY SHOEBOX COLLECTION
Please join us for our 16th Annual Shoebox Collection on December 4th at the Lakewood Ranch Elks Lodge. We need 1,000 shoeboxes to deliver to seniors throughout Manatee County. These boxes are oftentimes their only holiday presents. Many of our seniors live alone and are so grateful to receive a special gift box during the holiday season. Please help us bring joy this year for Manatee County seniors.
If you can sponsor to help fill boxes, or donate filled boxes, we need your help! Click here for more information.
Thanksgiving Dinner Giveaway
In an effort to bring the holiday spirit to local, food-insecure families, The Food Bank of Manatee will be distributing a Thanksgiving dinner as part of the #Food4Families program. The distribution will be on Monday, November 22nd at 4pm at Renaissance on 9th/Bradenton Dream Center, 1816 9th Street West, Bradenton FL 34205. The meals is for a family to prepare at home and will feed 5-6 people. In addition, there will be a holiday dessert provided by Bayside Community Church. For more information about our #Food4Families program, click here.
GIVING TUESDAY
After Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, comes #GIVINGTUESDAY, a global day of philanthropy. It’s more important than ever to support Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee and The Food Bank of Manatee. On Tuesday, November 30th UNLEASH THE GENEROSITY!
Your gift on November 30, 2021, up to $50,000, will be matched $1:$1!
Your investment stays in our local community, helping our friends and neighbors right here in Manatee County. Every donation, no matter the size, makes a difference.
Stuff The Bus 2021 Was A Huge Success!
During this year’s Stuff the Bus food drive, we were able to collect over 107,500 pounds of food to help feed local, food-insecure families. Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Mosaic, our Wheel Sponsor, Cablish & Gentile CPAs, as well as our Community Partners: Publix, United Way Suncoast, and the Manatee County School District. And, of course, this would not be possible without all the donors who were so generous and, most especially, the dozens of volunteers who donated their time to help make this all possible.
Subaru Share The Love 2021
Over the last 13 years, through the Share the Love Event, Subaru of America and its participating retailers have donated more than $176 million to charity, with customers choosing between four national and over 1,220 hometown charities. If you are purchasing a Subaru between November 18, 2021 and January 3, 2022 and choose Meals on Wheels, you will be helping feed thousands of homebound seniors in Manatee County. For more information, click here.
DONOR SPOTLIGHT
Without the help of organizations like Mosaic, we could not fulfill our mission to #FeedManatee. Mosaic Florida Operations made a generous donation to be the presenting sponsor for the Stuff the Bus food drive. This donation was instrumental in the success of the event. It allowed us to more effectively promote the event as well as provide the necessary resources at each of the Publix locations.
If you are interested in learning more about our current funding needs, there are opportunities for you to help, too! Click here find out how!
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
In early October, Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee was pleased to participate in the annual Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance #AllianceGivesBack volunteer events. On October 7th and 8th, members of LWRBA dedicated a few hours of their time by volunteering at Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee and The Food Bank of Manatee, one of our PLUS programs. Volunteers strengthened our community by working together and each selected our volunteer opportunities because of their own personal connection to our mission.
One volunteer who participated is on the board of the local Boys & Girls Club and many of those children receive meals from The Food Bank of Manatee. He witnessed the full circle of efforts dedicated to helping children in Manatee County. Another volunteer, when she was younger, would ride along with her grandmother as she delivered meals as part of the Meals on Wheels program. This personal connection is why she selected Meals on Wheels PLUS to dedicate her volunteer hours. Whatever your interests are, we have a fulfilling volunteer experience for you! For more information about how you can get involved as a volunteer, click here.
Interested in volunteering? You can become a volunteer today by registering here.
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
TerraNova Equestrian Center hosted The Event, an equestrian triathlon, to support local nonprofit organizations. Competitors rode for the selected nonprofit organizations, including Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee. The Meals on Wheels PLUS team placed third and was awarded a $5,000 donation to fund our mission.
Donations like these make it possible for our mission to succeed in Manatee County. If you are looking for ways to donate, click here.
